Billy Gibbons’ Pearly Gates Les Paul Standard pairs Alnico 3 and 5 pickups

Billy Gibbons’ Pearly Gates has inspired another Gibson Les Paul, this time a Standard with a particularly deliberate electronics recipe. Australian distributor Australis Music announced the Billy Gibbons “Pearly Gates” Les Paul Standard on November 9, 2026. Its product listing specifies different Alnico magnets for the neck and bridge pickups and a factory top-wrapped string setup.

The pickup pairing is the detail to notice

The Billy Gibbons-spec humbuckers use Alnico 3 at the neck and Alnico 5 at the bridge, according to the distributor’s product description. They are wired into a 50s-style circuit with 500k audio-taper pots and Orange Drop capacitors. There are two volume and two tone controls.

That gives players something more concrete to investigate than a signature name. The magnet pairing and wiring are documented specifications; whether the resulting response suits your amp and picking hand still requires a playing test. We have not auditioned this guitar.

A familiar outline, with specific choices

A non-weight-relieved mahogany body carries an AAA figured maple top. The mahogany neck has a 50s Vintage profile, while the bound rosewood fingerboard has a 12-inch radius and 22 medium-jumbo frets.

The nickel hardware includes an ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic bridge and aluminium stopbar. Gibson supplies the guitar with the strings wrapped over the stopbar, following Gibbons’ preferred setup. Historic-style Gibson Deluxe tuners, a Graph Tech nut, gold Top Hat knobs with pointers and a blank cream switch washer complete the specification.

Slow Iced Tea Fade, without the model confusion

The finish is called Slow Iced Tea Fade, with a Korina Yellow colour base and Faded Cherry back and sides. “Korina Yellow” describes the finish; the listed body wood is mahogany. A Gibson hardshell case is included.

Keep the full model name in view when comparing listings: this November distributor announcement concerns the Pearly Gates Les Paul Standard, rather than the earlier Gibson Custom Collector’s Edition. The announcement establishes the model and its specification; worldwide pricing and stock availability are not confirmed here.

Want to dig deeper into Gibbons’ guitars and gear? Read our Billy Gibbons guide.

Product illustration by GuitarGangsters, based on the distributor’s references for model LPSBGPG00VIFNH1. This is an illustration of the new Standard, not a photograph of Gibbons’ original guitar.