Gustavsson Bluesmaster ‘59 Amberburst

This is one of the most electrifying electric guitars I’ve ever played.  And that’s even before it’s plugged in.  When you play a note or a chord on it, it’s as if the sound explodes from the whole guitar – from the tip of the artfully-shaped headstock all the way through the neck and body. It’s a rare experience, and one to treasure. I think Johan has perfected the neck-body joint to the point where the two pieces seem completely connected into a unified whole.

Plugged in, it just pours out total timbral goodness. Powerful and elegant, cutting and smooth, delicate and tough. All at the same time.

It weighs 8.6 lbs. And every atom of the wood seems dedicated to creating this incredible sound. The neck shape is exactly the way you’d dream a perfect '59 burst would feel. It has phenomenal, limited edition Throbak PAF pickups. A beautiful Brazilian fretboard, and a gorgeous quilted maple top.

Just a mind-boggling example of guitar greatness. Johan deserves every ounce of praise that’s been rightfully heaped upon him.

If you'd like to find out more about this item, just call or e-mail me. It would be my pleasure to talk to you about it.

ABOUT JOHAN GUSTAVSSON GUITARS
It's probably fair to say that there have been few builders who’ve made as deep an impact on the contemporary guitar world as quickly as Johan Gustavsson. He’s taken the ’59 burst to a level that you likely haven’t experienced from any other builder. Johan's first exposure to a fine guitar was via his teacher, Robert Larsson, who had (as Johan puts it) “an old beaten up 1960 Les Paul Standard.” It was then he realized just what a great guitar could be. The experience continued when Johan got a part time job at one of the few places importing vintage guitars to Sweden from the U.S. (fifties Gibson Les Paul Goldtops, Juniors, pre-CBS Strats, Teles and Jazzmasters, etc). The exposure to that level of guitar and to that many great instruments had a great influence on his work as a guitar maker. Again – the quality of those guitars showed the possibilities inherent in the instrument. Johan has always been more attracted to the Gibson style of making guitars (with carved maple tops and glued in necks), and this is reflected in his most famous, and current model, the Bluesmaster Custom 59. A Gustavsson guitar is a Gustavsson guitar. His shop consists of Johan and an able assistant who was trained at the London Guild Hall University (and is a wonderful guitarist). That’s both good and bad news. The good news is that Johan’s genius is evident in every guitar he creates. The bad news is that since he makes them all himself, there are never many available. It’s a rare treat to play one. Simply superb.