Chasing Greeny

As a fan of Gary Moore you can't think of him without also thinking of at least one of his legendary '59 Gibson Les Pauls. Much like I did with my YJM strat on a budget, I've been chasing my own version of a Greeny Les Paul. I reluctantly admit it took me far too long to realize why it was called Greeny. I knew bits and pieces of how Gary acquired the guitar, and how the guitar came to sound the way it does, but for some reason it just never sunk into my thick head to research and appreciate Peter Green's role in the guitar's life. Selective learning, I guess. Now that I know the lineage of the guitar, I appreciate Peter Green much more, as well as the guitar itself. It's new owner, however? Meh. *slips on wah pedal and falls over crying*

If you're into burst era Gibson Les Pauls you know there are a ton of famous '59s out there. I would wager to say no other '59 Les Paul has been tributed/reissued more so than Greeny. Should money be no object, you have a lot of options to own your own Greeny. The first would have to be Gary Moore's Signature Les Paul. Albeit a simple Les Paul Studio, it still bore the signature of Gary Moore, and most certainly would have been inspired by Greeny to some degree. After that was a BFG version, with a P90 in the neck and looked like it was kicked around the Gibson factory floor for a few years. This one kind of hangs in the shadows, as it was probably inspired by Greeny. Then there is the Collector's Choice #1, which came in two versions. You could either get the realistic relic version just like Gary Moore played, or you could get the Melvyn Franks version, who bought Greeny from Gary, in an unworn condition. Unlike the previous two, the Collector's Choice #1 is a highly accurate Gibson built replica of Greeny, and thus costs quite a bit more.

The first of the most modern versions was a super expensive, limited edition Custom Shop version. Then came a collector's edition at a slightly less insane price, but still a bit too expensive for the average fan, and then the Gibson Greeny Standard, which for a Gibson signature model actually seems reasonably priced. However, I don't like the back being brown, as it's always been cherry on the real Greeny. If it was a cherry back I would probably start selling bodily fluids to buy one, but it just makes the guitar look cheap and unattractive. Finally we have the Epiphone Greeny, which at $1500 is fucking nuts. No. Just no. You can't tell me that guitar, even though it has the Gibson headstock and real MOP inlays, is any different to the regular Epiphone '59s that cost much less. No. Do they cost that much because Kirk broke Greeny again (seriously, he did!) and each Epiphone Greeny sold helps pay for the repairs?

If you're wanting a true Gibson, you have at least seven options, depending on your budget. If you want an inspired by Gibson, the Epiphone is also an option, unless you're like me and think the price is fucking insane. But what if you are like me? Firstly I would say seek therapy, and I'm so very sorry others like myself exist. Secondly I would say there are cheaper options. It really depends where your hang-ups are. Aria Pro makes the PE-350PG, which is clearly their own nod to Greeny. Sure, the body shape is Aria's own design and the burst isn't the same, but it doesn't cost anywhere near the other options. Vintage has the ICON V100MRPGM, again a clear nod to Greeny. The body is closer than the Aria, but still a bit different.

What if you're just wanting a lemon burst LP style guitar and you'll install your own GreenyBuckers? Gibson has made a wide variety of 50s and 60s inspired LP standards with that finish for decades. Those would be a great start. If you're a lot more budget conscious, or as I like to call myself "A cheap fuck", Epiphone too has offered lemon burst Les Pauls for decades that could benefit from a set of GreenyBuckers, or whichever PAF style pickups you prefer. Even cheaper still you have Harley Benton's SC-450, or SC-550. Cheaper still? Chibson. I've never played a Chibson, so I can't say whether the hype about them being good or crap is true, but they're cheap and they look the part. You choose whether or not you're comfortable with a guitar saying Gibson on the headstock that's not really a true Gibson. I'm not your father.

I myself have an inexpensive import Les Paul style guitar, who I've named Paola, with Gibson Burstbucker Pros installed. As soon as I got the guitar I immediately fell in love with it. The pickups were ok, but I knew I wanted BB Pros because that's what Gary Moore's signature Les Paul had from the factory. If they were good enough for Gary Moore, they're good enough for me. My BB Pros have four conductors, which made the out of phase mod super easy. I've read there is a difference between a magnet flip and four conductor out of phase tone, but I'm not sure there is. I would love to see someone like Dave Simpson on youtube test this theory. Sure my guitar is inexpensive with expensive pickups, but unless you lived through the 90s where people often put multi-thousand dollar stereo systems in their $300 cars, you wouldn't understand.

Ideally I would love a Gibson 50s or 60s inspired Les Paul Standard in lemon burst with GreenyBuckers, but I'm just not on that level. If I were doing gigs where I could put the guitar to work and earn the investment back, sure I would, but I don't. I'm a bedroom guitarist, and everything I have has been super budget conscious. I mean, I build my own effects pedals and play through an almost sixty-year-old tube combo amp that I picked up for less than $10. Is there any working musician out there that does that? There might be, I've just never had the benefit of meeting them. Maybe someday I'll get a windfall and invest in my dream Greeny. For now, I'll stick with my inexpensive version and enjoy it for what it is.