The Gibson Corporate Offices were ahead of the curve in many ways when they finally started listening to their vintage oriented dealers on what their customer base was looking to buy. Twas the Birth of their 1st real attempt at re-making their pinnacle main-stay…the 1959 Les Paul Std. Flame Top ! In 1980 Gibson introduced the Les Paul Heritage Series Standard-80 model, an early attempt at recreating a late 50’s legend & the upgraded Standard-80 “Elite” model incorporating a one piece mahogany neck, an ebony fingerboard and a quilted maple top. This example was just unearthed & happens to be perhaps the finest & rarest specimen of this very 1st year produced w/a very low serial # 0f 0431. Very Special ordered for a good client obviously w/its AAAAA+ Quilted Maple Top having a slightly faded Antique Sunburst finish that simply explodes in the natural sunlight here in South Florida like nothing we’ve ever seen before. Its so stunning that Gibson decided not to add its pickgard to show off its top…the earliest example of this option we’ve seen. Its 1 piece Mahogany body is extremely colorful & figured complimenting its 1 piece Mahogany Neck. Its dark Ebony fingerboard is wearing some pretty mutha-a-toilet pearloid Trapizoid inlays. What makes this so special (I know its very special already), it was ordered w/all Gold Hardware from its Grover tuners to its vintage knobs to its Nashville Bridge & Stop Tailpiece also sporting a set of really early “PAF” stickered Humbuckers that sound insane ! Pots date to the 47th week of 1979 & the 17th week of 1980. Under its Lead pickup is stamped ASB for its color choice. Some case candy comes in its case pocket including this “never-seen-before by us” quality control check list initialed by all of its builders & painters that participated in its production dated September 27th, 1980. Can anyone name the folks on this sheet ? This was definitely a pre-Custom Shop special order but anyone at that time could order anything from Gibson…for instance ones sold by the Guitar Trader & Jimmy Wallace. Overall it has 1 area on the back edge showing a few nicks but overall its hardly played & certainly Exceptionally Clean. It comes complete w/its sticker covered  & changed handle 1st series Brown Tolex Hard Case.