Page 57 - Guitar Classics Magazine - The Les Paul Bible 2019

THE UK’S FIRST LES PAUL

Pathfinders and later, White Trash,” Cosmo recalls. “It
was the first ’59 Burst I saw and played, and Fraser
ended up selling it to his friend Danny Kirwan,
around 1971.
“Before that, I had a ’59 ES-335, but that Burst
was it for me. The sound was similar, but bigger,
and it was more comfortable. I never really changed
from there on; it was either a Burst or a three-pickup
Custom. Although I did have an affair with a ’59
Flying V that lasted about 10 minutes.”
’59 VARIETIES
For a brief period, Cosmo owned one of the most
iconic Bursts. “Around 1971, I was offered the Keith
Richards Burst with the Bigsby. The guy didn’t want
to just sell it to me, he actually wanted to swap it for
a specific guitar. So, I went into Top Gear in Denmark
Street and Sid Bishop managed to find me a ’59
ES-175 with PAFs that the guy wanted. It was a good
deal, but remember Bursts were only worth around
£225 in ’71.
“I kept the Keith Burst until mid 1974, when
I damaged the neck. I dropped it and the neck
slightly split up the back, but I was still playing it
and it still stayed in tune. I ended up selling it to my
mate Bernie Marsden, he then sold it and bought
‘The Beast’.”
An entirely different ’59 Burst takes pride of place the guitar after all these years. The timing was good. PREVIOUS PAGE Cosmo’s
in Cosmo’s collection today, and although he has I’m mates with Richie Sambora and I was going up ‘Tommy Burst’ revealed in
only owned it for a short time, his association with to Glasgow the next day, as he was doing the O2. As all its heavenly glory
the instrument goes back decades. “I was on tour we were staying in the same hotel, I was just hoping
OPPOSITE TOP Like the Keith
with The Heavy Metal Kids and Humble Pie in 1973 Richie wouldn’t spot an old brown case come walking
Burst, the Tommy Burst
and we were doing Green’s Playhouse in Glasgow. through reception! I took Tommy and Craig up to my was itted with a Selmer
Somebody told me that there was another Burst room and I didn’t even negotiate. I just paid Tommy licenced Bigsby, which
in town that was owned by an older guy who was his price. I showed it to Richie at dinner afterwards Cosmo removed and kept, of
a great jazzer and singer. I said I’d be interested in and as you can imagine, his eyes lit up.” course. Note the seldom-seen
seeing it and he brought it over. I thought it looked The instrument’s pot codes indicate the 42nd week original Selmer packaging
a lot like the Keith one, because it had a Bigsby and of 1959. Because the US/UK trade embargo was only
OPPOSITE BOTTOM With
they’re only 20 digits apart. The owner’s name was lifted at the end of ’59, David Bower from Gibson
its ‘poker chip’ and pickguard
Tommy Gibson and although I tried offering him UK is fairly sure the Tommy Burst was one of the first removed, the efect of UV
£500 that night, he didn’t want to sell it. But over two Bursts in the UK. McCormack’s took delivery of light on the original inish
the years, we became friends and every year, I would both at the beginning of 1960 and Tommy bought it is revealed
try to buy it. Eventually, the zeros on the end began at the end of March. “Sadly, nearly a year after buying
to build up and this went on for the next 30 years, it from Tommy, I got a phone call from Craig telling ABOVE Much of the
original ‘Les Paul’
until I moved house and lost Tommy’s number.” me that Tommy had passed away,” Cosmo reveals.
silkscreen has worn away
Thankfully, fate intervened in the form of guitar- Talks with Gibson Custom about producing a
tech-to-the-stars, Alan Rogan. “He told me he Collector’s Choice recreation of the guitar reached
thought the guitar had been offered to another advanced stages, but unfortunately it wasn’t to be.
collector. Fortunately, they hadn’t agreed terms and “I wanted them to call it the Tommy Burst or
then Tommy’s son Craig found me through social ‘Glasgow Burst’, in his memory,” says Cosmo. “They
media. He said Tommy had been looking for me and said to me: ‘Looking at this guitar, we’ve got the
he was so upset, because he’d really wanted to sell me rare inverted flame, the guy who first bought it was

THE LES PAUL BIBLE 57