1954 Gibson Les Paul Standard Goldtop All Gold

No sales tax for direct sale customers outside California.

I've wanted to bring a '54 Les Paul into my stock for years.  To me, this is one of the top electric guitar configurations of all time.  The simplicity of the wraparound bridge and two P90s brings a tone that stands apart from everything else.  

The instrument is a pure pleasure to play.  The wear on the back of the chunky neck feels amazing.  Yes, the checked gold paint can be felt when playing, but believe me - the tone and feel override any thought about the finish.  The original frets are worn, but the guitar is very playable as it sits.

The rarity of 1950s Les Paul Standards is as much of a driver of collectability and value of these guitars as the playability and tone.  There were just 1504 made in 1954.  Previous models had a shallower neck joint and simply don't sound as good or play as well as '54s.  I don't have access to the number of all-gold models made, but it is clear that it is a small amount of the total.

As mentioned below, the guitar lived in northern Canada for decades.  The cold seems to have contributed to some serious mojo - checking that really makes this piece stand out.  

The pickups are original, as are the pickup covers, pots, tone caps, switch, switch tip, bridge, bridge studs, pickguard, pickguard mounting hardware, knobs, tuners, and strap buttons.

The original case is also included.  It shows some wear at the headstock end, with some glue applied by the previous owner in this area.  Otherwise, the case is very clean.

Changes include solder joints on the original pots. New foam has been placed behind the pickups to allow for some pickup height adjustment.  The original output jack was broken and replaced years ago.  I applied a jack and plate from a 1954 Gibson BR-9 lap steel.  There are extra holes where a different sized output jack plate was once mounted.  The screws holding the replaced plate are original, matching those on the original backplates that cover the switch and control cavities.  I spliced the original output jack wire from the lap steel to the wire running to the jack from the switch as that cable was cut a little short in the previous repair.  This splice hides just inside the hole that goes from the control cavity to the output jack.

The "poker chip" - the pickup selector switch ring - is original, and it is cracked.  I applied a piece of tape behind the ring to keep it together.

The guitar seems to have spent its entire life in Canada.  An email from the previous owner, Joe, will be printed and included with the guitar, giving a history to the piece that goes back to 1959:

"It was 1958 and at seventeen, I sang in a western band called the Frazer River Five located in Cariboo Country in central British Columbia. We recorded a weekly half hour show at the piano player’s home and it was played weekly on the local radio. At that time, I played a Harmony Acoustic. 

After graduation, in1959 I moved to Calgary Alberta and joined a band called the Sultans who needed a lead singer. That’s when I acquired my Gibson Les Paul Standard and a Gibson Amp with a 12” Jenson Speaker. I was working in a bank and needed a co-signer to borrow the money because I was only eighteen. 

We had a manager who rented community halls throughout southern Alberta and we would put on dances for the teenagers. Occasionally we would also perform for weddings. The six of us could make $10.00 to $20.00 each if we were lucky.

In 1964, I was transferred to Kenora, Ontario, a town on Lake of the Woods and performed in the bars on weekends. 

I later joined a band who had an accordion player named Hoken. This was the time when Hogen’s Heros was popular on TV. So we called our band HOKEN’S HEROS. We usually played once a month at a local community hall.

In 1978, my family and I left Kenora and back to Calgary where the Gibson was Gradually put into hibernation. I still sing at 83, but with an Acoustic."

Color: Gold
Weight: 9lbs 6.5ozs
Top: Maple
Body: Mahogany
Neck: Mahogany
Neck Profile: See picture
Fretboard: Bound Brazilian Rosewood
Inlays: Mother-of-pearl trapezoids
Frets: Original
Fret count: 22
Nut: Original
Nut width: 1 11/16"
Radius: 10"
Scale: 24 3/4"
Neck thickness at 1st fret: 0.93"
Neck thickness at 12th fret: 1.01"
Action 1st String at 12th Fret: 2/32"
Action 6th String at 12th Fret: 2/32"
Total length: 38 5/8"
Lower bout: 12 15/16"
Waist: 7 1/8"
Upper bout: 9 1/8"
Body depth/thickness outside edge: 2"
String gauge: .010-.046"
Hardware Color: Nickel
Bridge Pickup/Brand: Gibson
Bridge Pickup Reading: 7.91k
Pickup Original?: Yes
Neck Pickup/Brand: Gibson
Neck Pickup Reading: 7.44k
Pickup Original?: Yes
Pickguard: Original
Bridge: Original
Tuners: Original
Knobs: Original
Switch: Original
Pots/Codes: Original
Case: OHSC
Notes: The A, D, and G string tuner button shafts are bent.

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