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1956 Dark Burst reissue


Danno 50

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Does anyone out there have any info on the run of 1956 reissue "Dark Burst or Tobacco Burst" models that Gibson's custom shop made in 2007? I have only seen 1 or 2 others on the net. I do know that Gibson did the run of 150 of these in 07 but they seem to be a relatively rare item. Any help on these instruments would be appreciated.

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I don't know how many were made but I highly doubt they were limited to just 2007. I've seen 2008, 2009, 2010 darkback R7s; so, I'm sure there are darkback R6s from other years. They're no different than a regular R6 but they have a darkback. It's just that there are less of them.

 

The darkbursts may be a different story but you also have a choice of getting an R5 burst now, too.

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I don't know how many were made but I highly doubt they were limited to just 2007. I've seen 2008, 2009, 2010 darkback R7s; so, I'm sure there are darkback R6s from other years. They're no different than a regular R6 but they have a darkback. It's just that there are less of them.

 

The darkbursts may be a different story but you also have a choice of getting an R5 burst now, too.

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I got in touch with Gibson and they indeed only reissued the "Dark Burst" 1956 Les Paul in 2007 for a run of 150 items. As I stated though, I have not seen any other than 2 on the internet and I have never seen a real 1956 Dark Burst Les Paul. That is about all of the information on that instrument other than some classify the Dark Burst as "Tobacco Burst."

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I recently purchased a used 1956 reissue (R6) darkburst (also called tobacco burst, tobacco sunburst or just sunburst), and I did some research on it.

 

Those particular R6 darkbursts were manufactured in 2007 only, as part of Gibson's Popular Demand series. Besides the finish, they're equivalent to the Custom Shop LPR-6 Les Paul reissues.

 

According to one Gibson source, only about 60 R6 darkbursts were produced. Other sources have stated that 150 were produced. One explanation for the discrepancy is that the 150 count corresponds to the total number of guitars produced under the Popular Demand series that year, of which only a portion were darkbursts. Perhaps someone can comment on the validity of this. Other guitars in the 2007 Popular Demand series included a red top R8, a black parts R7, and an ebony top R6 (only perhaps 10 of the ebony tops were produced).

 

As far as serial numbers, they're in line with the rest of the R6 goldtops.

 

Why a '56 sunburst? The first Les Paul sunburst was a one-off ordered in 1956 by a man in West Virginia. He went into a shop and wanted a Les Paul to match the tobacco burst finish on his L-5 and was told that Gibson was going release sunburst Les Pauls in the future, but they weren't yet available. However, Gibson accepted a special order for the Les Paul in the desired finish.

 

Guitar and Bass Magazine did a story on that first Les Paul sunburst in their June 2009 issue (Vol 20. No. 7). It appears that Gibson has confirmed this historical perspective, based on Gibson's promotional material text for the 2007 darkburst R6.

 

As a side note, Wildwood Guitars special ordered a similar series back in 2000 and 2001 from Gibson, perhaps 50 of them. Those guitars differed from the 2007 line in that they were flametops (as opposed to the plain top used in the original 1956 sunburst) and the sunburst finish was not quite a traditional Gibson tobacco. There were a small number of Brazilian rosewood guitars made as part of that special order. As far as other P90 sunburst reissues, a limited run of Cloud Nine sunburst 1954 RI's (R4's, which may have been chambered) were made many years back.

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I recently purchased a used 1956 reissue (R6) darkburst (also called tobacco burst, tobacco sunburst or just sunburst), and I did some research on it.

 

Those particular R6 darkbursts were manufactured in 2007 only, as part of Gibson's Popular Demand series. Besides the finish, they're equivalent to the Custom Shop LPR-6 Les Paul reissues.

 

According to one Gibson source, only about 60 R6 darkbursts were produced. Other sources have stated that 150 were produced. One explanation for the discrepancy is that the 150 count corresponds to the total number of guitars produced under the Popular Demand series that year, of which only a portion were darkbursts. Perhaps someone can comment on the validity of this. Other guitars in the 2007 Popular Demand series included a red top R8, a black parts R7, and an ebony top R6 (only perhaps 10 of the ebony tops were produced).

 

As far as serial numbers, they're in line with the rest of the R6 goldtops.

 

Why a '56 sunburst? The first Les Paul sunburst was a one-off ordered in 1956 by a man in West Virginia. He went into a shop and wanted a Les Paul to match the tobacco burst finish on his L-5 and was told that Gibson was going release sunburst Les Pauls in the future, but they weren't yet available. However, Gibson accepted a special order for the Les Paul in the desired finish.

 

Guitar and Bass Magazine did a story on that first Les Paul sunburst in their June 2009 issue (Vol 20. No. 7). It appears that Gibson has confirmed this historical perspective, based on Gibson's promotional material text for the 2007 darkburst R6.

 

As a side note, Wildwood Guitars special ordered a similar series back in 2000 and 2001 from Gibson, perhaps 50 of them. Those guitars differed from the 2007 line in that they were flametops (as opposed to the plain top used in the original 1956 sunburst) and the sunburst finish was not quite a traditional Gibson tobacco. There were a small number of Brazilian rosewood guitars made as part of that special order. As far as other P90 sunburst reissues, a limited run of Cloud Nine sunburst 1954 RI's (R4's, which may have been chambered) were made many years back.

 

I can't begin to thank you enough for this information. I had never seen a "Tobacco Burst" 56 before and when I saw this one I knew that I had to have it as it was different from all of the Gold Tops out there. I was told by the shop owner that he travels to Gibson each year and is allowed to pick items out of their "vault" to sell in his shop. Mine was one of the so called "vault" guitars that he chose due to it's uniqueness. If that is the case then that just adds to the allure for me to this instrument. As I said, I don't know how true it is (as there was no paperwork to back up that claim of being a vault guitar) but I do know that I love the way this thing looks and sounds, and am going to enjoy having it in my collection for the rest of my life. Enjoy yours, as they seem to be relatively a rare item.

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  • 5 years later...

Those particular R6 darkbursts were manufactured in 2007 only, as part of Gibson's Popular Demand series. Besides the finish, they're equivalent to the Custom Shop LPR-6 Les Paul reissues.

 

According to one Gibson source, only about 60 R6 darkbursts were produced. Other sources have stated that 150 were produced. One explanation for the discrepancy is that the 150 count corresponds to the total number of guitars produced under the Popular Demand series that year, of which only a portion were darkbursts. Perhaps someone can comment on the validity of this. Other guitars in the 2007 Popular Demand series included a red top R8, a black parts R7, and an ebony top R6 (only perhaps 10 of the ebony tops were produced).

 

As far as serial numbers, they're in line with the rest of the R6 goldtops.

 

 

Yes, I have confirmation from Gibson that the Gibson 1956 Les Paul Standard Reissue Darkburst are rare.

They were a special order from Luthman scandinavia.

Here is what gibson say :

 

"The serial number refers indeed to a guitar Gibson 1956 Les Paul Standard Reissue Darkburts, rare non Gold top, made in 2007 at the Custom Shop in Nashville US. It seems this guitar model has been made as an special order for our International Distributor for Scandinavian Countries which is Luthman Scandinavian K.B.

Concerning production totals: we do not have production totals available, as these are seen as Gibson property."

 

I have been in contact with Luthman and they say it is built 20 of Gibson 1956 Les Paul Standard Reissue Darkburst with p90 for the nordic.

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