Gibson Les Paul 59 FB ULA

Gibson Les Paul 59 FB ULA: Technical Review

The Gibson Les Paul 59 FB ULA is a Murphy Lab Custom Shop model built around the 1959 Les Paul specification. Its listed price is $6,299, and it has been available since May 2023. The instrument is made in the USA and finished in Factory Burst, with an Ultra Light Aged treatment that includes lacquer checking. These details establish the guitar's vintage-inspired focus, while the specifications provide a clearer basis for evaluating its construction and hardware.

There are no customer reviews available for this product. The assessment here is therefore limited to the supplied specifications. Those details describe materials, components, and included items, but they cannot confirm how an individual example sounds, feels, or performs in use.

Body, Neck, and Fingerboard

The body is solid mahogany, topped with flamed maple attached using hide glue. The one-piece mahogany neck is also hide glued into the construction, and its stated profile is an authentic 1959 medium C. That profile name points to a period-specific neck shape, but the listing does not provide measurements such as depth at the first fret or shoulder width. Players comparing necks should not assume those dimensions from the profile label alone.

The rosewood fingerboard is hide glued and carries aged cellulose nitrate trapezoid inlays. The scale length is 628 mm, and the fingerboard has 22 historic medium jumbo frets. Together, these figures describe a traditional Les Paul layout, although fret dimensions, fingerboard radius, nut width, and neck relief range are not included. The specification sheet also does not identify the exact wood grading or the individual instrument's weight.

The back receives aniline dye, while the Factory Burst finish is listed as Ultra Light Aged with lacquer cracks. That finish treatment is part of the Murphy Lab presentation. "Ultra Light Aged" is the manufacturer's description; the available information does not quantify the extent of wear or establish how closely any particular guitar resembles a naturally aged instrument.

Pickups and Electronics

Two Custombucker humbucking pickups form the HH pickup system. This is a conventional two-humbucker arrangement for the model, but the listing does not give output readings, magnet type, wiring options, or coil-splitting functions. No specific tonal result should be inferred from the pickup names alone. The supplied details identify the components, not a measured frequency response or a guaranteed sound.

The electronics include CTS 500k potentiometers and paper-in-oil capacitors. These component descriptions are useful when comparing the guitar with other builds, but the data does not specify the capacitor values, potentiometer taper, or the exact control-circuit wiring. Buyers looking for particular electrical values should confirm them with Gibson or the retailer before purchase.

Bridge, Tuners, and Hardware

The bridge is a no-wire ABR-1 design, paired with an aluminum stopbar. The tuners are Kluson vintage machine heads with single rings. Hardware is nickel, and the plastic parts are made from cellulose acetate butyrate. The listing specifies no tremolo, which is consistent with the fixed bridge and stopbar configuration described here.

These parts give the instrument a period-oriented specification rather than a modernized one. However, there are no supplied details about bridge saddle material, tuner ratios, setup measurements, or factory string gauge. Such omissions matter to players comparing maintenance needs or planning immediate adjustments, so those points remain questions for the seller rather than claims that can be settled from this product data.

Finish, Case, and Purchase Details

The package includes a Lifton case, a certificate, and a 60th Anniversary Switchplate Medallion. A historically accurate backplate is also included in the case. The listing confirms that a case is included and that no gig bag is supplied. It identifies the color as both Sunburst in the general product fields and Factory Burst in the detailed specification.

The item number is 549911, and the sales unit is one piece. The model is identified as a 1959 Les Paul with a single-cut body shape. No limited run is specified. Taken together, the documentation describes a U.S.-made Custom Shop instrument with vintage-focused materials and hardware, plus a lightly aged finish treatment. It does not provide independent measurements, a setup report, or a customer response to verify individual examples.

Verdict

The Gibson Les Paul 59 FB ULA has a clearly defined specification: solid mahogany, a hide-glued flamed maple top, a one-piece mahogany neck, two Custombucker humbuckers, and period-style bridge and tuner components. Its included Lifton case and accompanying documentation are also confirmed. At $6,299, a prospective buyer should weigh those stated features against the missing practical details, especially weight, neck measurements, pickup readings, and setup data. With no customer reviews available, the decision rests on the documented build and an in-person inspection where possible.