Based on a heavily modded 1955 Goldtop that came through the shop owned by Bonamassa senior when Joe was only 11 years old, the Gibson Custom Shop "Inspired By" Joe Bonamassa Aged Les Paul Goldtop is the culmination of a close collaboration between the man himself and the custom shop.

This is an example from the first run in 2008 (#285) the COA is signed by Joe and comes with all the additional tags and bits in their original packaging..

The guitar is in excellent condition and has gone through the RDS process at the place where the pros go to make a great guitar an absolutely incredible guitar. The cost of the RDS process is $5k and an additional $460 for the pickup upgrade. The price I am asking is in line with the incredible response of this guitar. A professional guitarists guitar.

All photos will be provided of the Historic Makeovers process that they provided me upon sale.

The Historic Makeover process is as follows Historic Makeover COA included

Deluxe PACKAGE

HISTORIC-MAKEOVERS

$4,999 Deluxe Makeover cost

Our most complete Makeover for Gibson Historics. On guitars made before 2013, we steam out the neck and reset with hot hide glue. On all guitars, we re-carve the top to vintage spec, reshape the neck to vintage "C" shape, and use hot hide glue to install a Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard with correct binding ledge and inlay routs.

We inlay the fingerboard with our exclusive 1950's style cellulose nitrate inlays, and install frets. The fingerboard and guitar body are bound with our Royalite binding and the fingerboard binding edges are rolled.

The guitar is completely refinished with aniline dyes and unplasticized nitro-cellulose lacquer in one of our vintage correct finishes. The package includes a Vintage Patina (weather-checking and aging optional). per my request they re-stamp the serial number 285HM to indicated the RDS upgrade. Also I asked my friend Joe to sign the back of the headstock. I requested very light aging and I requested a pic when they started and I had them stop. The aging you see is where they stopped. The guitar has never left my studio and plays incredibly.

The pickups are from JJ pickups from Australia indicated below:

HB-Sov Neck

49.2mm

HB-Sov Bridge

49.2

Post500g

PP 3.6%

Sovereign '59 PAF Neck Pickup -

49.2mm

(Imperial USA) - Zebra Butyrate, 1018

Metalwork, Sheffield UK Alnico 5 rough cast bar, Elektrisola AWG42 Plain Enamel wire, 2 wire Gavitt braided connection

AUF Rock Bridge Pickup 49.2mm (Imperial

USA) - Zebra Butyrate, 1018 Metalwork, Sheffield UK Alnico 5 rough cast bar,

Elektrisola AWG43 Plain Enamel wire, 2 wire Gavitt braided connection

>>>>>>>below Gibson discription of this run. Described prior to RDS treatment.>>>>

Here are some words from Gibson...

Musicians that redefine an art form are few and far between. Yet in the span of a few years, guitarist Joe Bonamassa has singlehandedly transformed blues rock with his own unique fusion of both old and new ideas. His distinct interpretation of the blues, and his extraordinary guitar skills, have earned him a fitting a tribute from their Custom Shop-the new Gibson Joe Bonamassa Aged Les Paul Goldtop.

Bonamassa played his first guitar at the age of four. By seven, he had stepped up to a full-scale model and had mastered many of Stevie Ray Vaughan's signature licks. At 10, he was playing regularly around the state of New York, garnering the attention of blues legend B.B. King. Two years later, he was opening up for King, and eventually stars like Buddy Guy, Robert Cray, Stephen Stills, Joe Cocker, Gregg Allman, and George Thorogood. After hearing him play for the first time, King said, "This kid's potential is unbelievable. He hasn't even begun to scratch the surface. He's one of a kind."

Those are lofty words for anyone, but Bonamassa has lived up to them, continuing to develop his own style as one of contemporary music's most profoundly gifted guitar players.

The Joe Bonamassa Aged Les Paul Goldtop from Gibson Custom is a tribute to this extraordinary guitar virtuoso and his ever-growing legend, built in close collaboration with Bonamassa.