1952 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop

Remarkably, this iconic guitar has had only one owner since new! Unrestored condition.

In 1952, an eleven year old boy from Tennessee had his first glimpse of the stunning, revolutionary Gibson Les Paul Goldtop guitar. Determined to own one, it took several years of $5 a month payments before he could proudly state that one of these beautiful instruments was indeed his. This determination became evident in other ways as he grew to become a leading surgeon who pioneered arthroscopic surgery and went on to become the first Black surgeon approved to operate within the hospitals of his adopted state of New Jersey. Indeed, when with the octogenarian today, the Doctor speaks matter-of-factly about his medical accomplishments (20,000 operations!), but wells up when fondling the instrument he has loved since childhood. About to release the Goldtop over to Guernsey's, the Doctor requested that he be able to keep the instrument "just a few more days" during which, for the last time, he could revel in the sounds of the legendary guitar.

The very definition of an original, unrestored guitar, the Les Paul has cracks in the surface lacquer and wear around the edges. Believed completely original with the exception of the replacement of a single volume knob. Original case.

Condition: More detailed condition reports and additional photographs are available by request. The absence of a condition report does not imply that the lot is in very fine condition. Please message us through the online bidding platform or email Guernsey's at auctions@guernseys.com to request a more thorough condition report.