Gibson 2019 Les Paul Billy Gibbons Prototype #18 Aged Gold

No sales tax for US customers outside California.

The Billy Gibbons Goldtop is one of the most carefully realized artist collaborations Gibson's Custom Shop has produced. The prototype history behind this guitar series is well documented: Billy took a Goldtop, modified the neck shape personally, redesigned the electronics to his preferences, and applied the pinstripes with his own hands. Gibson worked from those prototypes — laser-scanning the neck profile directly from Billy's personal Goldtop — to produce the production instruments. The prototypes that preceded the production run are a different category of instrument entirely.

This is Prototype #18, designated "CC Aging Prototype" and dated 2019 — a numbered development instrument from what appears to be a later prototype phase of the Billy Gibbons Goldtop program, distinct from the 2014 production run in several specific and significant ways. The pickups are Gibson PAF humbuckers rather than the Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates that went into the production instruments. The tuners are Kluson Green Key, the period-correct hardware used on original late-1950s Goldtops. The aging designation "CC" indicates a specific aging specification applied to this prototype in the development process.

Every other element follows the established Goldtop blueprint Billy developed. The one-piece chambered mahogany body keeps weight to 6 lbs 11.5 oz — ultralight by Les Paul standards and a deliberate design choice that affects both the feel and the resonant character of the instrument. The maple top carries the aged gold finish with hand-painted pinstripes. The neck profile was measured precisely from Billy's personal Goldtop — a neck Billy himself describes as the specific feel he plays to. The electronics follow Billy's preference: two volume controls and a master tone, no toggle switch, both pickups always on. The ABR-1 bridge with lightweight aluminum stopbar, Kluson Green Key tuners, and one-piece Indian rosewood fingerboard with mother-of-pearl trapezoid inlays complete the specification. The Texas-shaped buckle rash wear pattern on the back is the signature custom touch applied to hand-aged Billy Gibbons Goldtops. Action is set at 2/32" on both strings at the twelfth fret. Original hardshell case included.

A guitar with this specific provenance — a numbered prototype with documentation, PAF pickups, and the complete Billy Gibbons specification — is an instrument for a buyer who understands exactly what they are acquiring. The photographs, number, and any accompanying documentation should all be prominently displayed.

The frets show that the guitar has barely been played.  It is a light and extremely comfortable player!  The neck is straight and the guitar set up perfectly with no issues.  There is room in the truss rod for future neck relief adjustments.  The original paperwork is included in the original case.

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SPECS:

• Color: Aged Gold with hand-painted pinstripes
• Aging: Heavy aging, featuring a Texas-shaped "buckle rash" wear pattern on the back
• Weight: 6lbs 11.5oz
  
• Top: Maple
• Body: One-Piece Chambered Mahogany
  
• Neck: Mahogany, with a custom neck profile measured precisely from Billy Gibbons’ personal Goldtop
  
• Fretboard: One-Piece Indian Rosewood
  
• Inlays: Mother of Pearl Trapezoid
  
• Frets: Original
  
• Fret Count: 22
  
• Nut: Original
  
• Nut width: 1-11/16"
  
• Radius: 12"
  
• Scale: 24.75"
  
• Neck thickness at 1st Fret: .907"
• Neck thickness at 12th Fret: 1.06"
• Action 1st String at 12th Fret: 2/32"
  
• Action 6th String at 12th Fret: 2/32"
  
• Overall length: 38-3/4"
  
• Lower bout: 13"
  
• Waist: 7-1/4"
  
• Upper bout: 9-1/4"
  
• Body depth/thickness outside edge: 2"
  
• String gauge: 9-42
• Hardware Color: Nickel
  
• Bridge Pickup/Brand: Gibson PAF Humbucker 
  
• Neck Pickup/Brand: Gibson PAF Humbucker
  
• Bridge: Nickel, ABR-1 Bridge, Lightweight Aluminum Stopbar
• Tuners: Kluson Green Key
• Knobs: Original
  
• Switch: No toggle switch (Billy prefers both pickups on).
• Pots/Codes: Original
• Case: OHSC
• Notes: 

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