JOE BONAMASSA Shares The Story Behind His 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard "Lazarus" (Video)
September 6, 2024, 2 months ago
In the video clip below, taken from The Collection: Joe Bonamassa, Joe tells Gibson TV host Mark Agnesi about the incredible story behind his 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard, “Lazarus” – a 1959 Les Paul that was painted over in candy apple red by its previous owner, who simply didn’t like the sunburst look at the time.
Watch as Joe retells this incredible story of this once-lost 1959 Les Paul and how he came to own this storied guitar that was originally bought in 1963 for just $100 and painted candy apple red by its previous owner. It was hiding its true identity when Joe and his fellow guitar collectors discovered it. Joe shares how he uncovered this gem at a Christmas party in Sherman Oaks, California, and after identifying the actual year of the guitar via specific sections of the guitar that the original owner failed to paint over, Joe realized that this was a special guitar.
Learn how it was carefully restored to its original glory after making an offer to the new owner who kindly sold it to him, and see why Joe named it “Lazarus” and what makes this guitar so special compared to other Les Pauls in his collection. Not only does it now have a unique finish, but the amount of people it took to restore “Lazarus” and the journey it took to get back to its original form makes it a very special guitar indeed. For guitar enthusiasts, this story is incredible and, as Joe puts it, one of his best discoveries ever.
