There is a singular year in Les Paul history that stands apart from all the others — not 1959, not 1958, but 1956. It was the only full calendar year in which the Les Paul model married the raw, searing power of P-90 soapbar pickups with the newly introduced ABR-1 adjustable bridge, unlocking a level of intonation, sustain, and sonic authority that players had never experienced before. The Interstellar Tone Traveler traveled deep into Gibson Custom Shop's historic archive to bring home this extraordinary '56 Reissue Goldtop in Double Gold — a finish so rare and visually commanding it stops you cold before you've played a note. Where a standard Goldtop gleams on top alone, the Double Gold treatment extends that rich, vintage gold across the entire instrument — top, back, and sides — creating a cohesion and presence that feels genuinely regal under stage lights or studio floods.

Every detail of this Custom Shop reissue has been executed with the kind of obsessive period accuracy that separates Gibson's historic program from everything else in the market. Hot hide glue construction throughout — body top fit, neck joint — replicates the acoustic coupling of the originals. The authentic 1950s no-tube truss rod, Historic narrow/tall frets, long tenon neck joint, paper-in-oil capacitors, Kluson Single Line single-ring tuners, and Switchcraft hardware are all period-correct and uncompromising. The VOS nitrocellulose finish wears that subtle vintage patina that makes this guitar feel decades old the moment you pick it up. Custom P-90 soapbar pickups deliver the voice that defined 1956 — bright, percussive, harmonically rich, and capable of genuine ferocity when pushed. At 8 lbs 10 oz, she's a comfortable player, and she arrives in a Brown/Pink Lifton Reissue 5-Latch case with COA, Historic Reissue hang tags, and Gibson Custom Switchplate Medallion. A true time capsule from the golden year.

Model: 1956 Les Paul Standard Reissue 
Body Construction: Solid
Body: 1-Piece Lightweight Mahogany
Body Top: 2-Piece Maple, Hide Glue Fit 
Body Finish: Nitrocellulose VOS (Vintage Patina)
Body Binding: Single-Ply Cream Royalite
Neck: Mahogany
Fingerboard: Indian Rosewood
Fingerboard Inlay: Aged Cellulose Nitrate Trapezoid
Nut: Nylon, 1.69"" 
Neck Profile: 50's Rounded "C"
Neck Joint: Long Tenon, Hide Glue Fit 
Frets: Historic Gibson Narrow/Tall 22 
Truss Rod: Authentic 1950s No-Tube
Radius: 12"
Fingerboard Binding: Cream, Single Ply Royalite
Scale Length: 24.75"
Bridge Pickup: Custom P90 Soapbar
Neck Pickup: Custom P90 Soapbar
Controls: 2 Volume, 2 Tone, CTS 500K Audio Taper Potentiometers, Paper-in-Oil Capacitors
Pickup Selector: 3-Way Switchcraft
Output Jack: 1/4" Switchcraft
Bridge: No-Wire ABR-1 (Nickel-Plated Brass Saddles)
Tailpiece: Lightweight Aluminum Stop Bar
Hardware Color: Nickel, VOS Aged
Pickup Covers:  Authentic Profile Nickel Silver
Strap Buttons: Aluminum
Switchwasher: Silkscreened Cellulose Acetate Butyrate
Pickguard: Laminated Cellulose Acetate Butyrate
Truss Rod Cover: Authentic Stepped 2-Ply 
Switch Tip: Amber Catalin 
Tailpiece: Lightweight Aluminum Stop Bar
Tuning Machines: Kluson Single Line, Single Ring 
Mounting Rings:  M69 Cellulose Acetate Butyrate 
Control Covers: Brown Royalite 
Case: Brown/Pink Lifton Reissue 5-Latch Case
String Gauge: .010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046
Accessories: COA, Historic Reissue Hang Tags, Gibson Custom Switchplate Medallion 9w/Historic Black Plastic Cover in Case) 
Weight: 8lbs 10oz.  
Case: Brown/Pink Lifton Reissue 5-Latch