The Collector’s Choice™ series from Gibson Custom brings to life specific vintage Les Pauls from the collections of noted ’Burst aficionados, with the kinds of painstaking details only possible thanks to the intimate hands-on access afforded by these guitars’ current owners. Right from the late 1960s, through his work with Linda Ronstadt, Warren Zevon, Keith Richards, Stevie Nicks, James Taylor and the Rolling Stones, Waddy Wachtel became rock’s best-known sideman and session player—a household name amid a crowd usually not seen in the spotlight. It is with extreme pride and great pleasure, therefore, that we present Collector’s Choice™ #14 1960 Les Paul aka “Waddy Wachtel Burst”. Selected by Waddy in 1968 from Stephen Stills’s extensive collection, this prized guitar has been with him through countless hits and sold-out tours.
“When I picked it up and my hand went around the neck, it felt like time had stopped for the moment,” Waddy says of his first encounter with this special 1960 Les Paul. “I decided that this guitar I was holding was most definitely ‘The One.’ The sound of my 1960 Sunburst is incomparable.” In a run of no more than 300 guitars (with qualifying materials determining the final number), Gibson Custom is re-creating the “Waddy Wachtel ’Burst” in every glorious, revealing detail. From its thin and superbly comfortable 1960 neck profile to its entrancing soft Lemonburst finish, to its precisely recreated PAF humbuckers, to the added Bigsby™ vibrato, capturing every nuance of tone, feel, and hand-aged appearance. Collector’s Choice™ #14 gives you a chance to own a singular and legendary guitar that would ordinarily be far out of reach of the average player. Reserve yours now at your authorized Gibson Custom dealer, while examples of the “Waddy Wachtel ’Burst” are still available.
Body
Top | Unique Figured Maple |
Back | Genuine Mahogany |
Binding | 0.90″ Cream Reissue |
Adhesive | Franklin Titebond |
Neck
Species | Mahogany Neck/Maple Spline |
Truss Rod | Reissue Truss Rod |
Joint Angle | 4° (+/- 15 seconds) |
Neck Fit
Joint | Mortise & Tenon |
Adhesive | Hide Glue |
Joint Angle Tolerance | +/- .005″ |
Fingerboard
Species | Indian Rosewood |
Radius | 12″ |
Binding | .040″ Cream Reissue |
Inlays | Nitrocellulose Trapezoid |
Nut/E.O.B | 1.700 / 2.075 |
Adhesive | Hide Glue |
Nut
Material | Bone |
Width | 1.700 |
Slots | Gibson PLEK System |
Headstock
Inlay | Reissue, Holly with Gibson Pearl Inlay |
Truss Rod Cover | Vintage |
Angle | 17 Degrees |
Tuners
Model | Schaller Side Mount |
Tuning Ratio | 12:01 |
Plating | Nickel / Aged |
Bridge
Type | Chrome Gotoh Tune-o-matic |
Plating | Nickel |
Tailpiece
Type | Aluminum B5 Bigsby |
Finish | Aluminum |
Hardware
Pickguard | Reissue Cream |
Knobs | Gold Top Hats |
Toggle Switch Washer | Cream Toggle Washer |
Pickup Mounting Rings | Cream |
Strings | .010 – .046 |
Strap Buttons | Dunlop Dual End Pins |