1954 Gibson Les Paul aka Ole Red

Here's a cool, player-grade Gibson Les Paul Goldtop that comes with its original four latch Lifton case and guitar strap. Story has it that it has been stored in the original owner's house for the last 40+ years. The original owner (Gary E.) passed away in 2009, and since none of the family played music or had any interest in the guitar, it was up for grabs. Now, you can be the 3rd owner of this great old guitar!

Update: As of 2024, Jared James Nichols is the 4th and current owner of this guitar.

Here's what you need to know. The guitar was sprayed red over the original gold finish, and sprayed black on the back of the neck and body, leaving the front of the headstock intact. No cracks or breaks, other than finish checking all over the guitar. No extra holes or modifications. There are some small dings and dents, as seen per the pictures, but nothing major. The neck is straight and free of any twists or warps. There are some wear on the original frets but nothing that will affect the playability. A refret is recommended, though.

Everything on the guitar is original except for the paint job (obviously) and the following:

1) The jack plate is a repro from Martin Six String Customs. The original is included but it is cracked into pieces.
2) The guitar did not come with a poker chip, but it now has a vintage mid 50's poker chip from RSM.

In general, player grade guitars are bound to have some issues, and this one is no exception. They are:

1) The original bridge pickup currently has a shim (popsicle sticks underneath), and this was done because the bridge pickup has a lower output than the original neck pickup (common on old P-90 guitars).
2) The binding is coming slightly loose at the end of the neck on both ends, and the neck binding is also chipped at the 16th fret position.
3) The original Lifton case is in pretty bad shape, unfortunately.

Other than the above, the guitar works just fine. Initially, I had the idea of having a qualified luthier bring it to its original glory by removing the red finish on the top, which requires little effort by the way, exposing the original gold finish underneath, and the rear neck and body be refinished to the original natural Mahogany. Lastly, have a refret done on it, and enjoy for many years to come! But that's up to the new owner now.