Johan Gustavsson Bluesmaster 59 LTD, 2015

Chances are, you’ve come to this page already knowing about the level to which Johan Gustavsson has taken the ’59 Burst. It’s legendary in the contemporary guitar world.  

This one has all the goodness of his 59 Bluesmaster with some added touches that will appeal to anyone who appreciates the nuances of a great burst.

Like all of his 59 Bluesmasters, it’s essentially what a holy grail burst should be. It explodes with sound - one of the most electrifying guitars I’ve ever played. When you play a note or a chord on it, the sound pours out with total timbral goodness.

The neck is perfectly shaped - carved by an artist, not simply an artisan.

What makes this so special? First, rarity. As far as I’ve been able to tell, this 59 Bluesmaster LTD is one of only six that Johan ever made. Second, Johan has gone to incredible lengths to make it as perfect as only he can. He’s sourced the best of the best woods. The method by which the binding meets the body is period correct - it’s subtle, but a true aficionado will notice and appreciate it. The relicing is sublime. Johan even sourced the inlay material from Italy to perfectly match NOS specs, and then artfully aged it.

It’s a perfectionist’s version of a Gustavsson 59 Bluesmaster. I can’t think of a higher accolade than that.

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.