This week's Find comes from our friend John Shults' True Vintage Guitar Reverb shop, which is always stocked with some excellent vintage pieces. This Find is particularly special, as it's a 1958 Les Paul Custom that was purchased brand-new in '58 and, up until recently, had only had one owner.
According to the listing, Shults acquired this three-pickup Black Beauty from the original owner's son, whom the guitar had been passed down to, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. "This Les Paul Custom comes from my favorite year for Gibson solid body electrics," the listing reads. "It's the year with the perfect mixture of the elegance of the 1950s but the cut of the 1960s. The necks were still as fat as they were in the mid-1950s, the PAF humbuckers were in their prime."
Aside from two pickguard mounting screws, a period-correct replacement nut, and one thumbwheel, the rest of the guitar is entirely original—finish, solder, and parts. This is one of the 256 LP Customs shipped in 1958 that did not have a Bigsby and no extra holes have been drilled for it after the fact.
This LP Custom has not gone through any breaks nor cracks, either. Its finish is more on the player-grade side—some checking, nicks, dings, and buckle rash on the back—but nothing that threatens the playing quality or integrity of the guitar.
While it will cost you a pretty penny to add this single-owner '58 Gibson Les Paul Custom to your collection, it will surely make for a beautiful, playable addition for the right collector. Be sure to check out the full listing here to see more photos, read more about the guitar's specs, and make your offer.