![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH2mKXNG9aZ4rcDUUFhxUOLJdgTyPZAuCPgZL7GVT_GPm1ULFozBI2mx5rTE8ACWNN59G0g_otrIkmQ9VNX3M_LFMjWAame-U7bF5zLpK7msN8UztmiJgq8SorSHpNhvChsEPZ3sr9Dbc/s400/BloomfieldLP.jpg)
The first stop for us each year at NAMM is upstairs where Fender and Gibson set up shop. We started with Gibson, who this year had a much larger room than last year which made for much easier viewing of the new stuff. Let's just get this out of the way: our favorite guitar in the room was this killer Michael Bloomfield Les Paul (above). Wow! A lot of attention in '09 will be paid to the 50th Anniversary 1959 Les Paul Reissues, which feature the first comprehensive revision to the specs (over 20 changes) since 2003:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ9Z02jxndYhu4I9ZdxYXAfaLFlgibtLV03bJRLT-48ttoscCrnL9axS8og5TDKKOtHp6ZZMQHvGE9nnI6HLY6HUDjAG22xAp0AW3Wrtk38uHdoTyMPfYBTAC63j6quEElU4kXR2Fqy64/s400/59_50thAnniversary_HCB_LP.jpg)
The new '59s will be very limited, in both numbers and color. Only Cherry Sunburst and Dark Burst will be offered. We played a bunch at the booth and they feel great. They really were sweating the details to make this the most accurate reissue Les Paul they have ever produced. The soft V to the neck felt great, and, we didn't get to plug them in but we hear that the taper of the pots is finally just right. Contact us for a complete list of the updates to the entire Historic Les Paul line.
Here is a pretty new '59 335 Reissue:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieGMxZDD0pwwWl_CqnDfFxPIwHKuIV87yh2pnJgqnGbkNxUSHF3YZI5ASdqrfGtU4GoCJgCn6iObTWeea6WV2Qso1I743SkV0-gEfaCyGYwdFaHdjqkzqCuzUX_jzjXRyREK5TGmUOnKk/s400/59_335.jpg)
And a Trini Lopez (with the trapeze tailpiece):
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdMF5_bRywD_TtWm4q49a5yTyI2ci7ycSved2ErKcEG2YPDc7Jf6vMdu6jW1ftHy5X_p9jT0ZzdyBfWJzDllYP-PFo9NzhVxdF9D4c1-lW0tzDeiXBxBhZ9FCFODq8cU7HsClfbux-bk0/s400/TriniLopezTrap.jpg)
Another very cool Les Paul coming this year are the new '54 Oxblood Jeff Beck Les Pauls. They will be in both Signed/Replica and VOS trim, and the signed versions are coming back from London very soon, we hear. We'll have them! Have a look at the top-line replica on display in the booth:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ2s3ZR6VGRLvLqKWa6TS4KuhZlYXYjiexHdSNPbej0xCcWz8PVjyvw7ozmb7e9IN3SAFgOeX8Zn97WpnMgbKlo9e-Okk0dlVivij_5GPWrhIufxraHxp5gxeW235pM8WKA3aMAWVSI4s/s400/BeckLP.jpg)
Gibson spared no expense setting up a lavish interactive display for the Dark Fire Les Paul. The Dark Fire is essentially the second generation Robot Guitar, a self-tuning guitar that can store and instantly achieve alternate tunings. We spent a little time running one through it's paces, and we had a lot of fun. It's pretty cool to watch it instantly tune itself into an open G tuning, and then to dropped open D, and then... The Dark Fire:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSmJznOADqU87l7uZ7LKxxYL3cx22EG47zQyg0sF-Iwa5xUzAkzvbVZ0nfsfrK4btiK45hLRvM0zn0dkTu7rOcRdsgcL2V3-lo55RuEWSv__9DOerdYIgZeolK08KvvYCUQ7t9xmTuvJQ/s400/DarkFire.jpg)
Gibson Montana was showing in full force, with some cool signature guitars like this Elvis Costello:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMYzYHvFcM25Zxeb6h3gxtRNuO4vzguR7DI3aB8F1PeKJm3xYK5HK1_BY0XvPuHoXIShf549R5gTSlO4RH6pWi8Fi_8vbRRAwSucAt0flulQefFead6TLceEhoMN6hNw4HUiSrCx2tOes/s400/ElvisCostello.jpg)
Check out the mother-of-pearl fingerboard:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcHHngkNtvhSHPH1Tfejo30B_PKFUHqOcT-oM0dTZpskxM9L4mruvYO7YDwMWwXoBHgHHyFiMs442SrT104Aty2PPsuZgbTVXtYny-8cdYdwrkkp_LxQab4YlQTjQTEJYPRD04EWaDhZU/s400/ElvisCostello_neck.jpg)
The acoustic Gibson that flat knocked us out was this 1942 J-45 Legend Special, a NAMM-only Special we'll be getting. It's made with hide glue just like the good ol' days, and sounded like a cannon going off:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP8lstwvBp7PWqwcUUhkZxBdu8Gh_DzTfn1idPcJogIxVxOj7KMPrz8p6z_9L-BYrT5rYLmnB91VIEbWdQK6vtJhyphenhyphenNN318keuLjGEOTf9CZDOi0QicZCMeJpPeIfRTVUFAsmbGNEiRFXw/s400/1942_J45_Legend.jpg)
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