If you love fast cars and hot guitars, this limited-edition Gibson Les Paul is the perfect axe.

Next to working on and racing my hot rods, playing guitar is one of my biggest passions. As I visit different message boards and check out the lounge areas with non-car banter, it’s obvious to me that many of you are also hardcore rockers. There’s a lot of common ground in the muscle car and rock ‘n’ roll worlds: sound, fury, speed, and all-out domination. And when it comes to domination in the guitar world, the names “Gibson” and “Guitar Center” are the two heavyweights to remember.

Another heavy-hitter in the car universe is Hot Rod Magazine, and they’ve teamed up with Gibson and Guitar Center to offer a very limited run of these special edition ’58 Les Paul guitars. I’ve actually had the good fortune to play one of these gems through a Marshall Plexi, both of which are owned by our ad sales rep, Mark Dewey, who has an incredible collection of Gibsons. Built by the Gibson Custom Shop, Dewey’s ’58 Hot Rod Les Paul was perfectly set up with blindingly fast action. The tone was killer too; it had me conjuring up shades of Billy Gibbons, Peter Frampton, Neil Schon, and Joe Bonamassa.

This stunning instrument is set off by painted flames firing over a figured maple top in a transparent red finish, with tailpipe-blued pickup covers. An engraved stainless steel pickguard with the Hot Rod logo is the crowning touch. The ’58 Hot Rod Les Paul is limited to 75 in the U.S., and it’s available exclusively at select Guitar Center stores. Retail price is $4,999, and considering the investment grade quality and the track record of other Gibson Custom Shop models, it’s sure to become worth more as the years wear on.

I’ll be playing my own Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul at Guitar Center’s King Of The Blues competition later this month; the only thing my Les Paul Custom lacks is the stunning beauty and collectability of the red-hot ’58 Hot Rod model. While I’m playing in the competition, I’ll be dreaming of my test drive behind the ’58 Hot Rod, and the thought that one day I may be lucky to own one too!  

For more information, check it out at www.guitarcenter.com/hotrod