2023 Gibson Custom Shop 1957 Les Paul Goldtop Darkback Reissue VOS

This 2023 Gibson Custom Shop '57 Goldtop Darkback Reissue is in excellent condition overall, showing minimal signs of use beyond its factory VOS treatment. The gold top is clean, with no notable dings, chips, or play wear. The back shows light surface scratching and some minor rash in the finish — the kind of thing you'd expect from careful handling rather than hard use, and consistent with a guitar that's spent most of its life in the case. The scratching is subtle enough that it's difficult to capture in photos, but it's there under the right light. All hardware, electronics, and frets are in like-new condition. No modifications — everything is original.

Weighs in at 8 lb 10 oz.

Includes the original Gibson Custom Shop hardshell case in like-new condition, hang tags, and the Certificate of Authenticity.

The '57 Goldtop Darkback is one of Gibson Custom Shop's flagship reissues, and it earns that status honestly. This is a no-compromise recreation of the 1957 Les Paul in its most iconic configuration — the gold top with the darker, unsealed mahogany back that distinguishes the Darkback variant from the standard reissue. It's a distinction vintage collectors know well: the original '57 Goldtops with darker backs are among the most sought-after Les Pauls ever made, and this reissue faithfully reproduces that look and character.

The construction is all vintage-correct: a solid mahogany body with no weight relief, a two-piece maple top with hide glue fit, and a one-piece mahogany neck carved to a substantial Chunky C profile. The Indian rosewood fingerboard carries 22 narrow tall frets, Plek'd at the factory. A pair of unpotted Custombucker Alnico III humbuckers handle the tone, wired through the classic two-volume, two-tone control layout. The hardware is period-correct throughout — a no-wire ABR-1 bridge, lightweight aluminum stop bar tailpiece, and Kluson single-line, single-ring tuners with keystone buttons.

The VOS finish gives this guitar the look of a well-preserved vintage piece right out of the case — the subtle aging in the lacquer, plastics, and hardware takes the edge off "new" without getting into relic territory. It's the sweet spot for players who want the vintage aesthetic without the vintage price tag.

Body Shape: Les Paul
Top: 2-Piece Maple, Hide Glue Fit
Body: 1-Piece Lightweight Mahogany
Binding: 1-Ply Royalite
Weight Relief: None
Finish: Nitrocellulose Lacquer, VOS (Vintage Patina)
Neck: Solid Mahogany
Neck Profile: Chunky C-Shape
Neck Joint: Set
Scale Length: 24.75" / 628.65mm
Fingerboard: Indian Rosewood, Hide Glue Fit
Fingerboard Radius: 12" / 304.8mm
Frets: 22, Historic Narrow Tall
Nut Material: Nylon
Nut Width: 1.687" / 42.85mm
Inlays: Aged Cellulose Nitrate Trapezoids
Neck Pickup: Custombucker Alnico III (Unpotted)
Bridge Pickup: Custombucker Alnico III (Unpotted)
Controls: 2 Volume, 2 Tone
Switching: 3-Way Toggle
Bridge: No-Wire ABR-1
Tailpiece: Lightweight Aluminum Stop Bar
Tuners: Kluson Single Line, Single Ring
Hardware Finish: Nickel
Pickguard: Laminated Cellulose Acetate Butyrate
Control Knobs: Butyrate Gold Top Hats
Switch Tip: Amber Catalin
Truss Rod Cover: Authentic Stepped 2-Ply
Strings: Gibson, .010–.046
Case: Gibson Custom Hardshell (included)