This 1969 Gibson Les Paul Custom has just come in to the shop from its second owner who's had it for about 50 years! I could tell that its previous owner loved his Les Paul Custom deeply and played it a lot. The original frets were nearly worn down to the fretboard.
As a Les Paul guitar collector, I am always on the hunt for Gibson guitars from the 1950s and 1960s like this one. If you've inherited a Les Paul and are looking for help finding the year, check out Les Paul Serial Number Lookup. Or if you're curious about how much I would value your Les Paul then you can contact me here: Sell a Gibson. I may be the Les Paul buyer you're looking for.
Gibson Les Paul Custom
Gibson's Les Paul Custom model was its very fanciest solid body electric guitar which debuted in 1954. It lasted until 1961 in its original body style featuring a solid carved top Mahogany body with single cutaway and black Ebony finish like this one: Gibson Les Paul Custom 1960. Gibson's entire Les Paul line received a refresh in late 1960/early 1961 with its new thinner body style which later became known as the "SG". The single cutaway Les Paul style was discontinued without plans to make them any longer. The Guitar Gods of the mid 1960s picked up old single cut models for cheap and fleshed out their potential as the quintessential blues rock guitar. Gibson revived both the Les Paul signature and the single cut Les Paul body style in 1968 with the Les Paul Standard (goldtop) and the Les Paul Custom.
This 1969 Gibson Les Paul Custom comes from the second year of the Les Paul reintroduction. Gibson was continually updating the features of their guitars in the late 1960s and early 1970s, so it's common to find a mixture of features. This example features an 800xxx series serial number, three piece Mahogany, small volute, no MADE IN USA stamp, pancake body, and short neck tenon. I was excited to find the 1960s style stop bar tailpiece showing the original skinny - wide - skinny casting mark and light weight. Both pickups are the original patent number sticker humbuckers, but one features Phillips head bobbin mounting screws and the other has slot screws. There is evidence that both covers have been off before, but they do appear to be the original pickup covers.
This 1969 Gibson Les Paul Custom came to me via its second owner who purchased it in the early 1970s. It's clear that it was played and loved as evidenced by the heavy fret wear on its original fretless wonder style frets. I agonized over the refret on this guitar because it has binding nibs on the sides of the frets. I tasked the luthier I work with to refret the guitar inside the binding. He did a fantastic job and preserved the original binding nibs. It's now one of my favorite Les Paul Customs I've ever played.
Les Paul Collector
As a Gibson Les Paul Collector, I am always buying the best examples of 1950s and 1960s Gibson Les Paul guitars. If you've inherited a 1950s Les Paul and are curious about how much I would value it, contact me here: Les Paul Buyer. I would be happy to take a look and help with reading the serial number, identification, originality, and possible market value. I am based in the United States, but I buy Gibson Les Paul guitars from all over the world. If you have a 1950s Les Paul then I may be able to come to you for an in-person transaction. Click the Contact Me button to send information about your guitar. You can text or email pictures to the contact info at the bottom of the screen. I'm looking forward to being the Les Paul buyer you're looking for.
