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1957 Gibson Les Paul Standard Goldtop Darkback (Refin)

79.000,00 €

differentially taxed according to §25a UStG. plus Shipping costs

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1957 Gibson Les Paul Standard Goldtop Darkback (Refin)

Here’s a real gem: This guitar began its life as a 1957 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop Darkback. We discovered it in Sweden, where it had been purchased in the late ’50s by a professional musician. It was refinished in a kind of Darkburst finish, with a wide color pattern that reveals its multi-piece maple top, featuring some beautiful flame figuring. The refinish was done many years ago. Fortunately, the original yellow ink serial number 73968 remained intact. That was a lucky break, as it allowed us to confirm without a doubt that this guitar belongs to a well-known batch of 1957 Darkback Goldtops: serial numbers 73967 and 73969, its sister guitars, are both documented in the Burst Serial Log. Like this one, they are Goldtops with the rare and desirable Darkback finish instead of the usual Walnut stain. So we’ve essentially found the “missing” guitar and helped close that gap in the log. The guitar still retains most of its original parts—including several of the most valuable ones: the original pickguard, an original non-sticker 1957 PAF in the neck position, the original tuners, the original short-seam stoptail with original studs, the original non-wire ABR-1 bridge, two original volume pots, and all four original knobs. The remaining parts are high-quality replicas or period-correct replacements: the pickup covers, M69 rings, truss rod cover, bumblebee caps, and two pots from the 1970s (likely installed during the first refinish). The bridge pickup is an original 1961/62 short-magnet PAF—and it sounds so good that we decided to leave it in. The tone is perfectly balanced. So, the most critical components are vintage and original—especially the pickguard, which alone is nearly as valuable as an early-60s SG/Les Paul. During the first refinish, the guitar lost about 4mm of body/top thickness in a few spots, and a small piece of maple was added near the bridge pickup’s volume/tone knob area. Our luthier, Mathias Schindehütte, masterfully refinished the guitar and restored its original appearance—a true 1957 Goldtop Darkback. This is about as close as you can get to a late-’50s PAF Les Paul—at less than half the price of a fully original one. An absolutely stunning instrument, through and through.

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Specs

Serial: 73968

Weight: 4080g

Nut width: 43mm

Neck thickness @1st/5th/12th fret: 22,56/23,50/24,9mm (.88/.92/.98")

Pickup DC: 7,2K(N), 7,78K(B)

Pot date codes (2x 134.6.43)

Art.Nr.

GI57LP73968

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