1957 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop, rare darkback, in near n.o.s. unplayed mint condition.

This stunning Les Paul guitar is extremely rare for its astounding ultra-clean condition. So gleaming, and so pristine, that it looks like it came out of a time machine. It is 100% all-original 1957, down to every molecule. This Les Paul is one of perhaps just a dozen or so 1957 Les Pauls with original P-90 pick-ups; in 1957 Gibson switched to the metal-covered humbuckers, making this one handful of 1957 Les Pauls that retain the classic white P-90 single-coil pickups.

The range of sound that these original cream-color P-90s produce is remarkable, from sweet to raw, and everything in-between. The guitar is also a very rare "dark-back" model! In the entire 1950's, one of maybe fifty Les Pauls were ever made with this deep dark solid mahogany, with its tight black grain and velvet luster. Musicians now realize that the phenomenal tone of true vintage Les Pauls comes directly from this dense and deep 1950's mahogany -- a wood now of course long gone.

The Les Paul Goldtop guitar itself also comes with a cornucopia of original 1957 Gibson items, including the original and equally clean brown Lifton hard-case, original strap, patch-cord, two 1957 45 rpm Les Paul records, a 1957 letter from Gibson, 1957 Melody Maker magazine with Les Paul on cover, plus an original and rare black 1950's Gibson binder, and much more.

Shown with 1958 Fender Bassman tweed amp, not included. If you'd also like to bid on the beautiful 1958 Bassman amp, go to Lot 51-B, coming up next.

From The Ilinois Collection.

Guitar -Near Mint

Amp - Good condition