Gibson Custom Shop '59 Les Paul — Ace Frehley (Aged)

For a whole generation of guitarists, Ace Frehley was the reason to pick up a guitar at all. The early KISS years, the stage show, the smoking Les Paul, the sound on Alive! That's burned into a lot of memories, which is why a Frehley signature out of the Custom Shop is far more than just another burst.

This aged version of the 1959 Ace Frehley Les Paul is the more interesting one. Where a VOS is only lightly knocked back, the ageing here goes considerably further: aged hardware, a finish with play wear and checking, and the air of an instrument that's been in use for decades. That's exactly what takes away any hesitation about actually playing it rather than leaving it in the case.

It sounds exactly the way a '59 should. The mahogany body with its maple top gives warmth and body underneath, while the cap provides the definition and attack. The humbuckers are moderately wound and therefore respond remarkably finely to your picking hand. Played gently everything stays bell-like and transparent; dig in and it turns fat and singing, with the endless sustain this construction stands for. Pushed, it develops the creamy saturation you know from countless classics.

Meister Ede selected this one personally at Musikhaus Hermann and has never let it go since.

A collector's piece with real playing value, from Ede's Private Stock.