2002 Gibson Limited Edition 50th Anniversary 1952 Les Paul
Tom Murphy Aged Historic Reissue Gold Top

The original Gibson Les Paul Model was the product of a historic collaboration between the world's best-known guitar company and the world's best-known guitar player. The result was one of the most legendary and highly collectible solidbody electric guitars ever made. The Les Paul Model is recognized around the world as an icon for rock and roll music.

By 1951, Lester William Polfus from Waukesha, Wisconsin - the man known as Les Paul - was considered to be one of the most famous guitarists in America. During this time Gibson was preparing to enter the solidbody guitar market. Gibson launched their first solidbody Les Paul in 1952. Available in a gold finish top with natural finish back and sides, this model was better known as a Goldtop. The carved top and gold finish of the original 1952 Gibson Les Paul Model gave it a classic, elegant look that no other guitar maker could manufacture without expensive new tooling. This guitar represents a milestone in the history of guitar design.

The year 2002 marked the 50th anniversary of the Les Paul model. Gibson and Les Paul celebrated the anniversary of their historic collaboration with the introduction of this highly collectible guitar, the Les Paul '52 Goldtop Aged, a replica of Gibson's first electric solidbody guitar. Gibson's Custom, Art & Historic division carefully researched the original model so that all the specifications - including the one-piece mahogany back, maple top, rosewood fingerboard and hardware - have been recreated with exacting detail. For an extra touch of authenticity, the Antique Gold finish has been hand "aged" by the master finish expert and Les Paul guru, Tom Murphy to simulate a finish with the wear and tear of a 50-year-old guitar from a collector's showcase. This guitar was supposed to have been limited to 52 guitars for a world wide market. However, the owner of this guitar, a local collector received a letter from Gibson Guitars - Custom, Art & Historic Division stating that they only actually did 29 of these and only 8 of them went to domestic dealers. This one originally went to Yamano in Japan and has since found it's way home to the US.

This guitar is 100% ALL ORIGINAL and in MINT condition, even though it doesn't look it! While a genuine vintage instrument is a thing of beauty; a guitar aged by Tom Murphy is a thing of wonder. Especially when you realize that this process is done one guitar at a time... by hand. It literally takes months to age a guitar from beginning to end, so you gotta know that they can't just crank these out one after another. They are very limited, very rare and highly sought after and Tom's expertise is obviously noted when you hold one of these in your hands. This guitar comes complete with the original hardshell brown Lifton case, the "goodie bag" containing the Vintage Reissue cord and care kit and all the original paperwork, including the LIMITED EDITION AGED HISTORIC REISSUE CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY, signed by Gibson General Manager - Rick Gembar, Historic Program Manager - Edwin Wilson and Historical Finish Expert - Tom Murphy, stating that this guitar is number 4 of 52. This guitar also comes with all the original hang tags and paperwork from Yamano.

If you are a Les Paul collector and you don't have this guitar, then you don't really have a Les Paul collection. If you could only have one electric guitar, this should be the one.