2009 Gibson Custom Billy Gibbons "Pearly Gates" VOS Les Paul Standard
Regular price
- Unit price
- / per
We are not box shifters, we take your packing and shipping very seriously..!
We have to. You're considering spending a lot of money with us and you would obviously like your valuable musical instrument to arrive at your door, without drama, fuss or damage.
We have many years (stretching way back in to the last century) of packing and shipping fragile musical items all over the world - in fact the number of sometimes priceless, vintage instruments we have shipped is in the thousands.
When you buy a vintage or second hand item from us, it will be hand packed by one or more of our specialist, in house staff and then shipped in our own custom made cardboard boxes (If applicable).
We normally ship via our preferred carriers UPS, DPD, Parcelforce and Royal Mail for smaller items such as straps and leads. Tracking numbers are always provided.
Shipping prices vary by item and by location, please see the individual products for details but as a guide, prices for a guitar is usually:
UK - £50
Mainland Europe - £75
USA - £200
Rest of World (rates can vary a lot depending on country) - £250
How can I pay?
All our base prices are in £GBP Sterling and exclude delivery.
Payments can be made by bank transfer (up to any amount) or credit/debit card through our website (up to £10,000.) Due to fraud risks we do not take payment by phone. We accept and use many online payment services that work by way of bank transfer and recommend Wise.com who will in generally offer far better exchange rates than banks.
Do your prices include VAT?
All prices include UK VAT but most used or vintage guitars are sold under the UK marginal scheme for secondhand goods which means you will not get an invoice with the VAT amount shown separately, neither will you be able to claim this VAT element back if you are VAT registered, and the VAT element cannot be deducted for export sales.
For new items such as some guitars, pedals, straps, cables etc 20% UK VAT is included and if you are in an export country, which since Brexit now includes Europe and of course the US, this 20% VAT will automatically be deducted at checkout for you. You may have to pay local taxes and duties when your goods arrive in your home country, we advise you to check with your local customs office to be sure.
Can I reserve or put an item on hold?
Yes you can. Items can be put on hold for a deposit payment of 10%. This will hold the item for up to 30 days but this deposit payment is non refundable in the event of the buyer failing to complete the sale.
A further 10% payment at the end of the initial 30 day period will extend this period for another 30 days and subject to individual approval, this arrangement can be extended at our discretion. ATB Guitars holds title to the goods until paid for in full and if the buyer should change his/her mind for any reason, a restocking fee equivalent to to 15% of the total purchase price will be deducted from any refund given.
Do you have a mailing list?
The best way to get on our mailing list is to submit the form at the bottom of every page on our website. Also follow us on Facebook and Instagram @ATBguitars as most new items are posted there as soon as we buy them and before they go on the website. If you are searching for a specific guitar then send us an email and we will attempt to alert you once one has been found.
2009 Gibson Custom Billy Gibbons "Pearly Gates" VOS Les Paul Standard
Regular price
- Unit price
- / per
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2009 Gibson Custom Billy Gibbons "Pearly Gates" VOS Les Paul Standard
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Description
A spectacular Gibson Custom Billy Gibbons “Pearly Gates” 1959 Les Paul Standard, produced in 2009 as Gibson’s tribute to one of the most famous Burst Les Pauls of all time. Based on Billy Gibbons’ legendary 1959 Les Paul Standard, acquired in Houston in 1968 and forever associated with the ZZ Top sound, the Pearly Gates run has become one of the most desirable artist-related Custom Shop Les Pauls of the modern era.
The model was built in very limited numbers, with 350 guitars produced in total: 250 finished in Gibson Custom’s VOS treatment, 50 aged to closely replicate the original guitar, and a further 50 aged, played and personally signed by Billy Gibbons. This example is number 128 from the run and is one of the VOS guitars, capturing the look and feel of the original without going into full heavy ageing.
Specification is exactly what you would hope for from a high-end Custom Shop ’59-style Les Paul. The guitar features a solid one-piece mahogany body with a two-piece maple top, hand-selected to echo the distinctive figure of the original Pearly Gates. The one-piece mahogany neck is carved to a classic ’59 profile and topped with a dark Indian rosewood fingerboard, complete with cellulose trapezoid inlays for the correct vintage look.
Hardware is lightly aged nickel throughout, with an ABR-1 Tune-o-matic bridge, lightweight aluminium stop tailpiece and Gibson Deluxe Kluson-style tuners. The cream reissue binding, gold top-hat knobs, cream pickup rings and switch ring, and period-correct two-ply bell truss rod cover all complete the familiar late-’50s aesthetic.
Tonally, the matched Seymour Duncan Custom Shop Billy Gibbons PAF replicas are a real highlight. Voiced to replicate the pickups in the original Pearly Gates, they sit beautifully in that vintage-output PAF territory, with plenty of clarity, bite and harmonic detail.
The sunburst finish looks superb, and the figured maple top is one of the best we have seen on a Pearly Gates model. It is also a lively, resonant guitar in the hands, weighing 4.1 kg and feeling every bit like a good Custom Shop Les Paul should.
Condition is excellent throughout, with the guitar remaining in fantastic original order. It comes with its original Gibson Custom Les Paul hardshell case, dust cover and Certificate of Authenticity. A superb example of a highly collectable Gibson Custom Shop model, with a striking look, excellent tone and artist association that make the Pearly Gates run so sought after.
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We are not box shifters, we take your packing and shipping very seriously..!
We have to. You're considering spending a lot of money with us and you would obviously like your valuable musical instrument to arrive at your door, without drama, fuss or damage.
We have many years (stretching way back in to the last century) of packing and shipping fragile musical items all over the world - in fact the number of sometimes priceless, vintage instruments we have shipped is in the thousands.
When you buy a vintage or second hand item from us, it will be hand packed by one or more of our specialist, in house staff and then shipped in our own custom made cardboard boxes (If applicable).
We normally ship via our preferred carriers UPS, DPD, Parcelforce and Royal Mail for smaller items such as straps and leads. Tracking numbers are always provided.
Shipping prices vary by item and by location, please see the individual products for details but as a guide, prices for a guitar is usually:
UK - £50
Mainland Europe - £75
USA - £200
Rest of World (rates can vary a lot depending on country) - £250
How can I pay?
All our base prices are in £GBP Sterling and exclude delivery.
Payments can be made by bank transfer (up to any amount) or credit/debit card through our website (up to £10,000.) Due to fraud risks we do not take payment by phone. We accept and use many online payment services that work by way of bank transfer and recommend Wise.com who will in generally offer far better exchange rates than banks.
Do your prices include VAT?
All prices include UK VAT but most used or vintage guitars are sold under the UK marginal scheme for secondhand goods which means you will not get an invoice with the VAT amount shown separately, neither will you be able to claim this VAT element back if you are VAT registered, and the VAT element cannot be deducted for export sales.
For new items such as some guitars, pedals, straps, cables etc 20% UK VAT is included and if you are in an export country, which since Brexit now includes Europe and of course the US, this 20% VAT will automatically be deducted at checkout for you. You may have to pay local taxes and duties when your goods arrive in your home country, we advise you to check with your local customs office to be sure.
Can I reserve or put an item on hold?
Yes you can. Items can be put on hold for a deposit payment of 10%. This will hold the item for up to 30 days but this deposit payment is non refundable in the event of the buyer failing to complete the sale.
A further 10% payment at the end of the initial 30 day period will extend this period for another 30 days and subject to individual approval, this arrangement can be extended at our discretion. ATB Guitars holds title to the goods until paid for in full and if the buyer should change his/her mind for any reason, a restocking fee equivalent to to 15% of the total purchase price will be deducted from any refund given.
Do you have a mailing list?
The best way to get on our mailing list is to submit the form at the bottom of every page on our website. Also follow us on Facebook and Instagram @ATBguitars as most new items are posted there as soon as we buy them and before they go on the website. If you are searching for a specific guitar then send us an email and we will attempt to alert you once one has been found.