Joe Bonamassa's Epiphone Black Beauty Les Paul replica released: "You just play this thing into the ground"

News
By last updated

JoBo's eighth signature guitar borne of two years of collaboration

(Image credit: Epiphone)

Epiphone has announced the worldwide release of Joe Bonamassa's latest signature model, a recreation of his 1958 "Black Beauty" Les Paul Custom.

I made it a super playable instrument, throaty but clean

Joe Bonamassa

“We based my new Epiphone signature on this 1958 Gibson Les Paul Custom,” said JoBo. “I made it a super playable instrument, throaty but clean, and the lead pick up just barks.

"I fell in love with it, it’s a great Black Beauty and you just play this thing into the ground. Epiphone did an excellent job recreating this guitar and I’m excited to share it with everyone.”

This, his eighth signature guitar, is a limited but affordable release with a '50s neck profile for an era-correct feel, LP Custom bound body and neck, non-weight relieved mahogany body, unique vintage tuners, Orange Drop capacitors, CTS potentiometers, two Epiphone ProBucker™ 2 and one ProBucker™ 3 pickups, Switchcraft® output jack, and comes with a classic black hardshell case adorned with gold hardware and yellow gold plush lining.

Joe Bonamassa's  Epiphone Les Paul Custom "Black Beauty" is on sale now, priced at $799.

Image 1 of 4
(Image credit: Epiphone/Gibson)
Will Groves
Will Groves
Editor-in-chief

I'm lucky enough to be MusicRadar's Editor-in-chief while being, by some considerable distance, the least proficient musician on the editorial team. An undeniably ropey but occasionally enthusiastic drummer, I've worked on the world's greatest music making website in one capacity or another since its launch in 2007. I hope you enjoy the site - we do.

More about guitars

“We tried to capture the heart of what a Gibson Custom guitar is, and I think we really have done it”: Epiphone expands and upgrades its flagship Gibson Custom collab with eight stunning vintage-inspired electrics

“I was shocked. That was the exact sound that I had been chasing for years”: Nirvana tone sleuth Aaron Rash solves his epic tone mystery and finds the guitar that Kurt Cobain used for In Utero

“Get the ideas out - and then look back with different ears or different eyes in a few months. Then the really good ones will stand out to you”: Tourist shares his music production wisdom
See more latest
Most Popular
tourist
“Get the ideas out - and then look back with different ears or different eyes in a few months. Then the really good ones will stand out to you”: Tourist shares his music production wisdom
Epiphone goes high-end with its Inspired By Gibson Custom 2025 collection: [from left] the '63 Firebird in Polaris White is joined by a 1959 Les Paul Standard, a '64 SG Standard, a 1960 Les Paul Special in TV Yellow and a 1962 ES-335 reissue.
“We tried to capture the heart of what a Gibson Custom guitar is, and I think we really have done it”: Epiphone expands and upgrades its flagship Gibson Custom collab with eight stunning vintage-inspired electrics
Behringer Model D
“It's probably my Behringer Model D monosynth. So simple and obviously cheap, but it’s just so versatile. I’ve used it on basically every track that I’ve created”: 10 producers share the tech they can’t live without
Billy Idol and Avril Lavigne
"With her on it, it got three times better": Watch Billy Idol and Avril Lavigne perform their new single, 77
YouTuber Aaron Rash [left] wears grey and an Adidas beanie and checked trousers as he poses with his Veleno-clone aluminium guitar. On the right, Kurt Cobain performs in 1993 with Nirvana at their MTV Live and Loud show in Seattle.
“I was shocked. That was the exact sound that I had been chasing for years”: Nirvana tone sleuth Aaron Rash solves his epic tone mystery and finds the guitar that Kurt Cobain used for In Utero
Eric Schenkman, Mark White, Chris Barron and Aaron Comess of Spin Doctors
“I honestly can’t remember how my drum fill intro came to be. The stars aligned in the recording of that song”: The strange magic of the Spin Doctors’ ’90s mega hit Two Princes
Finneas
“Such an emotive player... so cool. I’ve always been really impressed”: As he names his 5 favourite guitarists, who could Finneas be talking about?
EQ
“We can sidechain one track to another and make it so that the primary one ducks at the problem frequency range - a real timesaver!”: Digging into the enhanced abilities of today's EQ plugins to enhance your productions
Neil Young
“If you’re a fascist, get a Tesla”: Neil Young debuts new song that takes aim at Elon Musk
Devin Townsend performs on a brightly lit stage. He wears a black suit, an orange T-shirt, and plays a white seven-string Framus.
“This upcoming tour will be the last time you get a chance to see me for quite sometime. I am going on a vacation”: Devin Townsend announces an indefinite break from touring – but it sounds like he's going to be keeping himself busy in the coming months