The only major change to the Les Paul Standard in 1959 was the addition of wider, fatter, "jumbo" frets, which facilitated more dramatic bends. The real force of this change was not felt until the late 1960s, when rock and blues players like Eric Clapton, Mike Bloomfield, and Peter Green began to discover the fat, warm voice of the '59 Standard. This moment in history marked the beginning of the idealization of the '59 Les Paul as the Holy Grail of guitars in the minds of professionals, collectors, and weekend warriors. Now part of Gibson's proprietary new Vintage Original Spec series -- the next step in their journey toward perfection.
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