Gibson Les Paul - 25/50 Anniversary Guitar

I've owned quite a few guitars since I started playing guitar in 1969. I've bought and sold, bought and traded, and bought and kept. This one is a keeper.

When this guitar first came out in 1978, I told my dad that it was one day going to be a collector's item. In fact that's how Gibson advertised the guitar. It's a Les Paul model that commemorates the 25th Anniversary of manufacturing Les Paul guitars and also Les Paul's (the man himself) 50th year in the music business.

Well, my dad did not hesitate and he and I went to The Sound Post in Evanston (no longer in business) to go find one to buy. We ended up with this one which happens to be number 26 in the production line. They made a total of about 3000 of these guitars which sounds like a lot, but it's nothing actually. Gibson makes tens of thousands of Les Pauls a year!

This particular guitar was actually the guitar that was displayed at the NAMM show for music retailers that year (National Association of Music Merchants.) The Sound Post purchased it from the show and brought it back to their store.

I'll always keep this guitar because my dad bought this one for me. In fact, just a few days before he passed away, he asked me if I still had this guitar. It was one of the few things that he asked me about, so I know that it meant a lot to him that I keep this one. I'm never going to sell it.