1959 Gibson Les Paul TV Model

ARCHIVED • SOLD

1959 Gibson Les Paul TV Model

The double-cut Les Paul TV Model saw production from late 1958 until late 1959, when the model was officially renamed the SG TV (although the double-cut thick-body TV/JR/Special model wasn’t ultimately replaced by the thin SG body until early 1961). The TV model was always the single-pickup version of the Special (which wasn’t actually called a TV Special, as we now know it. Confusing, right?). In any case, the TV model is, in other words, a Les Paul Jr with limed mahogany finish; and they’re particularly rare, with Jrs outnumbering TVs by a ratio of about 7.5 to 1.

This example is gorgeous, totally original but for a set of period replacement Klusons, and it sounds huge. The neck has a healthy ‘59 carve, with a 1st fret depth of .920” and a nut width a hair shy of 1-11/16”. The pickup is nice and hot, measuring 8.3k, and the neck angle sets the strings exactly where we like them relative to the pickup for the best Junior tone. The guitar weighs in a little under 8.1 lbs.

With nicely dressed original frets, below average finish wear, original electronics, bridge, and gorgeous tortoise-celluloid pickguard, this TV Model presents beautifully. There are no neck issues to speak of, and apart from nicely disguised filled-in screw-holes by the tuners it would be very hard to find a fault with this beauty.

Set up in shop, this guitar plays really well and needs nothing other than to be played.

With original alligator/chipboard case
1959 Gibson Les Paul TV Model
  • 1959 Gibson Les Paul TV Model
  • 1959 Gibson Les Paul TV Model
  • 1959 Gibson Les Paul TV Model
  • 1959 Gibson Les Paul TV Model
  • 1959 Gibson Les Paul TV Model
  • 1959 Gibson Les Paul TV Model
  • 1959 Gibson Les Paul TV Model
  • 1959 Gibson Les Paul TV Model
  • 1959 Gibson Les Paul TV Model
  • 1959 Gibson Les Paul TV Model
  • 1959 Gibson Les Paul TV Model
  • 1959 Gibson Les Paul TV Model
  • 1959 Gibson Les Paul TV Model
  • 1959 Gibson Les Paul TV Model
  • 1959 Gibson Les Paul TV Model
  • 1959 Gibson Les Paul TV Model
  • 1959 Gibson Les Paul TV Model
  • 1959 Gibson Les Paul TV Model
  • 1959 Gibson Les Paul TV Model
  • 1959 Gibson Les Paul TV Model

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