These guitars started out as an early 1950s Gibson Les Paul Junior or Les Paul Special, but why convert them? There are only around 1500 Bursts but there are over 10,000 Juniors and Specials from the same era. Many of these Juniors and Specials were not treated well, and even more were abused. We buy guitars that, as they are, are not worth restoring. They’ve been modified with screwdrivers substituting for chisels and are often painted hideous colors, like Signal Orange. To restore them to what they were is just not feasible. We’ve worked on numerous real Bursts since 1962, for example Jimmy Page’s Les Paul #1 was modified in our shop before it was sold to Led Zeppelin’s guitar player. We are very exacting with our process. The routes and cavities are as exact as possible to original 1958-60 Gibson Les Paul Standards. Each guitar is shaded with vintage color dyes and finished in vintage nitro cellulose lacquer. Why do we go through all this work?? It fills a niche for the discerning Vintage Guitar Connoisseur who appreciates the vibe of the aged, old wood. In all honesty, the 1958-60 Standards are the modern day equivalent of Stradivarius violins. Very few of us can afford to purchase an original Les Paul Standard Flame Top. Too many are no longer in the hands of musicians but reside in collections and museums. This is as close as you can get without a $150,000 and up price tag.