Guitar Safari Vlog: Vintage Gibson Les Paul Goldtop 1954

It's been fun to bring the camera along when I'm buying vintage guitars but especially when it's a one family owned 1954 Gibson Les Paul Model (goldtop!). If you're following this blog then you may remember this guitar from when I posted the pictures the owner sent when he reached out for a vintage guitar appraisal back in September of 2019. I remember when I first got a look at the guitar and was instantly smitten by it. I could tell that it had been played and loved a long time ago but it appeared to have been preserved and unplayed for decades. The family was only interested in selling their prized vintage Gibson Les Paul in cash and in person. I booked a flight to San Diego, California as soon as a deal was on the table. 

I'm always a Gibson guitar buyer but I'm especially looking to buy 1950s Gibson Les Paul guitars. You can contact me here to sell a vintage Gibson Les Paul. 

I spent some time pouring over the pictures he sent me for the appraisal and wrote a full page on my findings. I was looking for any changed parts, repairs, finish work, etc. He was very pleased at the full description and we chatted about the history of the guitar after discussing the appraisal. His grandfather owned this and one other vintage Gibson guitar and played the sparingly throughout the years. His grandfather passed in 1998 and willed the guitar to him. He plays a little but always played his other guitar and left this one untouched in the case. He was in college and decided to sell to help fund his degree. Smart man!

I waited an agonizing few months while he attempted to sell the guitar himself before we discussed my offer. Finding a buyer for the guitar at the level he was looking for is not an easy task. Another few months went by and I was pleased to be the last man standing with the highest offer to buy the guitar. He was only looking to sell the guitar in person and in cash so I booked a flight that day. This video is the vlog footage from that trip to San Diego, California.