This 1979 Gibson Les Paul Standard in Cherry Sunburst is a genuine late-1970s USA-made Les Paul from Gibson's Norlin era, offering the substantial construction, powerful twin-humbucker format and distinctive specification associated with this increasingly sought-after period.

Its maple-topped mahogany body is paired with a 3-piece maple neck, bound rosewood fingerboard, traditional 24.75" scale and Nashville Tune-O-Matic bridge with stopbar tailpiece. It delivers the sustain, strong midrange and authoritative feel that make a vintage Les Paul particularly effective for blues, classic rock and hard rock.

This example is presented in Very Good Condition, showing some cosmetic wear consistent with careful previous ownership and its vintage age while remaining fully functional. Serial number 72059552. A hardcase is included.

At A Glance

Key Detail	Information
Brand	Gibson
Model	Les Paul Standard
Year	1979
Era	Norlin
Finish	Cherry Sunburst
Condition	Pre-Owned, Very Good Condition
Serial Number	72059552
Manufacture	Nashville, USA
Included	Hardcase
Main Appeal	Genuine late-'70s Les Paul with distinctive Norlin-era specification
Best For	Classic rock, blues, hard rock, studio use and vintage Gibson enthusiasts

Condition Overview

Very Good Condition

This 1979 Gibson Les Paul Standard is presented in Very Good Condition.

Under the Fair Deal Music grading system, Very Good Condition means the guitar shows some cosmetic wear consistent with careful previous ownership while remaining fully functional.

At more than four decades old, this is best appreciated as an authentic vintage player's Gibson carrying the natural visual character expected from a guitar of its age.

What's Included?

✔ 1979 Gibson Les Paul Standard Cherry Sunburst
✔ Hardcase

✘ No Additional Accessories Included

Condition Notes

• Very Good overall condition
• Cosmetic wear consistent with age and previous use
• Hardcase included
• Serial number: 72059552

No specific faults, repairs or modifications are recorded.

Fair Deal Quality Control Assessment

This vintage Gibson Les Paul has been individually inspected and assessed by the Fair Deal Music team before being offered for sale.

Our checks include:

• Neck humbucker tested
• Bridge humbucker tested
• 3-way selector checked
• Individual volume controls tested
• Individual tone controls tested
• Output jack checked
• Neck condition assessed
• Rosewood fingerboard inspected
• Frets checked
• Tuning machines assessed
• Nashville Tune-O-Matic bridge checked
• Stopbar tailpiece inspected
• Hardware assessed
• Neck joint and body condition checked
• General playability assessed
• Hardcase checked for basic usability

Service / Setup Work

All pre-owned guitars at Fair Deal Music are checked for setup and general playability before leaving the shop.

Key areas assessed include:

• Action
• Neck relief
• Fret condition
• Intonation
• Tuning stability
• Pickup operation
• Electronics
• Bridge setup
• Hardware
• General playability

Vintage wooden instruments can respond naturally to changes in temperature and humidity, so minor setup movement during transportation can occasionally occur.

What Makes The 1979 Gibson Les Paul Standard Special?

The 1979 Les Paul Standard comes from a period when Gibson was building Les Pauls very differently from both the original late-1950s instruments and today's vintage-inspired Standards. Features including the 3-piece maple neck and Nashville bridge give late-'70s guitars a recognisable physical feel and character of their own.

Rather than being a modern recreation of an earlier Les Paul, this is an authentic Gibson from the era itself. The Cherry Sunburst finish, substantial construction and decades of natural ageing give it an individuality that is difficult to reproduce with a newly manufactured instrument.

Key Features & Benefits

3-Piece Maple Neck

The 3-piece maple neck is one of the defining construction features of this period. It gives the guitar a different identity from the mahogany-necked Les Pauls normally associated with the 1950s and many current Gibson models.

Maple-Topped Mahogany Body

The combination of maple and mahogany provides the strong sustain, substantial midrange and articulate attack closely associated with the Les Paul Standard.

Twin Humbucker Configuration

The traditional HH layout provides warm neck-pickup tones, powerful bridge sounds and the ability to blend both pickups through independent volume and tone controls.

Nashville Tune-O-Matic Bridge

The Nashville Tune-O-Matic bridge provides individual saddle adjustment for accurate intonation and is an important part of the Gibson specification associated with this period.

Cherry Sunburst Finish

Cherry Sunburst is one of the definitive Les Paul finishes, allowing the maple top to remain visually prominent while maintaining the instantly recognisable look associated with Gibson's most famous solid-body model.

Comparison Against Popular Alternatives

1979 Les Paul Standard vs Modern Les Paul Standard '50s

A modern Les Paul Standard '50s deliberately revisits specifications associated with the late 1950s, including a mahogany neck and vintage-inspired hardware. The 1979 Standard represents genuine Norlin-era construction with a 3-piece maple neck and Nashville bridge, giving it a very different identity.

1979 Les Paul Standard vs Les Paul Custom

A Les Paul Custom adds more elaborate appointments such as multi-ply binding, Custom headstock detailing and traditionally an ebony fingerboard. The Standard retains the classic Sunburst appearance, rosewood fingerboard and trapezoid inlays.

Vintage Les Paul vs Modern Historic Reissue

A modern Historic Reissue aims to recreate a particular vintage period as accurately as possible. This guitar is an authentic product of 1979, offering genuine material ageing and period-specific construction rather than a modern interpretation of an older instrument.

Who Is It For?

Vintage Gibson enthusiasts – A genuine late-'70s USA Gibson with period-specific construction and character.

Classic rock players – The Les Paul's substantial response and humbucker configuration pair naturally with overdriven valve amplifiers.

Blues guitarists – Gibson's shorter scale and warm neck-pickup response provide an expressive platform for sustained lead playing.

Hard rock players – The bridge humbucker format gives the weight and definition needed for powerful rhythm and lead tones.

Players who appreciate Norlin-era Gibsons – The maple neck and period hardware make this fundamentally different from a modern vintage-style Les Paul.

Suitable Genres & Applications

Particularly well suited to:

• Classic rock
• Blues
• Blues rock
• Hard rock
• Rock
• Southern rock
• Progressive rock
• Alternative
• Jazz
• Fusion
• Studio recording
• Live performance
• Rhythm guitar
• Lead guitar
• Vintage amplifier rigs

Why Choose A Norlin-Era Les Paul?

Norlin-era Gibsons have developed a following of their own because their construction reflects what Gibson was actually building during the 1970s rather than attempting to reproduce a 1950s instrument.

The maple neck, Nashville bridge and generally substantial build give these guitars an identity quite separate from a modern Les Paul Standard or Historic Reissue.

For players interested in vintage Gibson history, that distinction is important. A 1979 Standard provides an authentic snapshot of Gibson production from the period, complete with more than four decades of natural ageing and individual playing history.

Story & Context

The Les Paul Standard returned to Gibson's regular catalogue during the 1970s after the original single-cutaway model had spent much of the 1960s out of production.

By 1979, Gibson was firmly within what is commonly known as the Norlin era, and the company's construction techniques had developed significantly from those used on the celebrated late-'50s Standards.

Maple necks, Nashville Tune-O-Matic bridges and substantial construction became characteristic features of Les Pauls from this generation.

Serial number 72059552 places this guitar on the 205th day of 1979 – 24 July 1979. Its factory ranking of 552 identifies it as a Nashville-built Gibson.

Technical Specifications

Specification	Details
Product Type	Solid Body Electric Guitar
Brand	Gibson
Model	Les Paul Standard
Year	1979
Era	Norlin
Serial Number	72059552
Production Date	24 July 1979
Country of Manufacture	USA
Factory	Nashville, Tennessee
Finish	Cherry Sunburst
Body Shape	Les Paul
Body Construction	Maple / Mahogany
Top Material	Maple
Neck Material	3-Piece Maple
Neck Construction	Set Neck
Fingerboard Material	Rosewood
Fingerboard Radius	Approx. 12"
Scale Length	24.75"
Number of Frets	22
Fingerboard Inlays	Trapezoid
Pickup Configuration	HH
Pickups	Twin Humbuckers
Electronics	Passive
Controls	2 Volume, 2 Tone
Switching	3-Way Toggle
Bridge	Nashville Tune-O-Matic
Tailpiece	Stopbar
Hardware Finish	Chrome
Included	Hardcase
Condition	Pre-Owned, Very Good Condition

Vintage Specification Note

Period late-'70s Les Paul Standards are commonly encountered with Gibson Patent Number/T-Top humbuckers, but the exact pickup model and component originality should be established on the individual guitar rather than assumed solely from its production year.

For that reason, this listing identifies the current configuration as twin humbuckers without making an unsupported originality claim.

Serial Number Note

Gibson used the eight-digit YDDDYRRR serial system during this period.

Serial number 72059552 decodes as:

• 7 + 9: 1979 production
• 205: 205th day of the year – 24 July
• 552: Nashville factory production ranking

Before the Kalamazoo factory closed, production rankings 001–499 identified Kalamazoo manufacture, while 500–999 identified Nashville. This guitar is therefore a 1979 Nashville-built Gibson.

Power Requirements

No battery or external power supply is required.

The traditional humbucker electronics are passive and connect to an amplifier, pedalboard, modeller or audio interface using a standard 1/4" instrument cable.

Fair Deal Music Verdict

★★★★★ 5/5

This 1979 Gibson Les Paul Standard in Cherry Sunburst is an appealing opportunity to own an authentic vintage Les Paul from one of Gibson's most distinctive production periods.

Its 3-piece maple neck, maple-topped mahogany construction and Nashville bridge provide genuine Norlin-era character, while the twin-humbucker format keeps it firmly rooted in the powerful blues and rock tones expected from a Les Paul Standard.

Presented in Very Good Condition and supplied with a hardcase, this is particularly well suited to a player who wants to experience an original late-'70s Gibson rather than a modern recreation of an earlier Les Paul.

Why Buy Pre-Owned From Fair Deal Music?

Vintage guitars are individual instruments, and their condition, functionality and component history are just as important as their original catalogue specification.

Every pre-owned guitar at Fair Deal Music is individually assessed before sale so customers can buy with a clear understanding of the instrument and its overall condition.

Why Buy From Fair Deal Music?

When you buy from Fair Deal Music, you're choosing one of the UK's most established, independent family run music retailers since 1987.

Fair Deal Music is Birmingham's largest independent music store, combining a major showroom with nationwide ecommerce and decades of experience buying, selling and part-exchanging new, pre-owned and vintage musical equipment.

When you buy from us, you benefit from:

• Family-run independent retailer established in 1987
• Birmingham's largest independent music store
• 6,000+ Trustpilot reviews
• Expert musician-led advice
• Extensive experience with Gibson and vintage guitars
• Pre-owned instruments individually assessed
• Clear condition grading
• Secure ordering
• Fast UK delivery
• Large Birmingham showroom
• Friendly support before and after purchase

Trade In. Trade Up. Save More.

Your existing gear could help towards the cost of this vintage Gibson.

Fair Deal Music buys and part-exchanges guitars, basses, amplifiers, effects, keyboards and a wide range of other musical equipment.

Contact our team for a no-obligation valuation and find out what your current gear could be worth towards this 1979 Gibson Les Paul Standard.

Frequently Asked Questions

What year is this Gibson Les Paul Standard?

Serial number 72059552 identifies the guitar as a 1979 Gibson.

Can the exact production date be identified?

Yes. The serial indicates the 205th day of 1979, which was 24 July 1979.

Where was this guitar made?

The final production ranking is 552. Under Gibson's serial system at the time, numbers from 500–999 identified Nashville production.

Is this a Norlin-era Les Paul?

Yes. A 1979 Les Paul Standard falls firmly within the period widely referred to as Gibson's Norlin era.

Does it have a maple neck?

Yes. This period Standard uses a 3-piece maple neck, one of the most distinctive characteristics of late-'70s Les Paul construction.

What fingerboard does it have?

It uses a rosewood fingerboard with traditional trapezoid inlays.

What scale length does it use?

It uses Gibson's traditional 24.75" scale length.

What pickups are fitted?

The guitar has a traditional twin-humbucker configuration. The exact pickup model and originality are not assumed without individual component verification.

Would a 1979 Les Paul normally have T-Top pickups?

Many late-'70s Gibson Les Pauls were equipped with Patent Number/T-Top humbuckers. However, vintage guitars can undergo component changes during their lifetime, so the exact pickups should be identified from the individual instrument rather than year alone.

What bridge does it use?

It uses a Nashville Tune-O-Matic bridge with stopbar tailpiece.

How does this differ from a modern Les Paul Standard?

One of the biggest differences is its 3-piece maple neck. Modern Standards generally use mahogany necks and draw more heavily on Gibson's late-1950s construction style.

Is it suitable for regular playing?

Yes. Despite its vintage age, a well-maintained Les Paul Standard remains a highly capable instrument for rehearsal, recording and live performance.

Does it require a battery?

No. Its traditional humbucker electronics are passive.

Does it come with a hardcase?

Yes. A hardcase is included.

Is the hardcase original?

No claim is made regarding original factory case status unless separately confirmed. The hardcase currently accompanying the instrument is included in the sale.

Can I request a video of this individual guitar?

Yes. Our Request a Video Demo service is particularly useful for vintage guitars, allowing you to inspect the Cherry Sunburst finish and individual cosmetic condition in greater detail before purchasing.

Can I part-exchange another guitar against it?

Yes. Fair Deal Music buys and part-exchanges a wide range of modern and vintage musical equipment. Contact our team for a no-obligation valuation.