How long have you had your longest-owned Les Paul?

[crazytrain513]

I bought a used 71 Deluxe in 1975, so that's 41 years I've had it. It's on it's third set of pickups and second set of pots and caps. There are places where the finish is worn right down to the wood from playing, but that guitar is rock solid and has been my #1 since the day I got it.

41 years? Unbelievable! Pics?

I'm sure that one's got plenty of REAL mojo.

This is an awesome thread, loving the stories here!

Glad you're enjoying it! I'd like it think it's some insight into all of our beautiful Gibson's we don't usually get from all the "Show me your Les Paul" threads

It goes to show these guitars can really hold their own in terms of longevity, and that over the years, they're all so similar yet all have such unique personalities and stories behind them!

 

[LPMarshall Hack]

Mine's an '89 and I've had it since '02. Gotta find a pic...

 

[DADGAD]

Got this in 2011. Still have it.

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[John Vasco]

Have had my 1991 lefty LP Custom since 1994

and playing live

 

[Johnnyslim]

17 years with this 1952 conversion. Been my #1 hands down. The guitar that ruined me.

 

[kstultz]

41 years? Unbelievable! Pics?

Here are some pics. The mini humbuckers have been replaced by a DiMarzio dual sound in the bridge position and a DiMarzio PAF in the neck position. Two toggle switches have been added near the controls. One toggles between the "fat sound" and the "thin sound" on the bridge pickup and the other puts the pickups either in or out of phase with each other.
I tried to get a close up of the spot on the front where I wore the finish out right down to the wood resting my arm on the guitar when I was playing. That kind of gives you an idea of how many hours of play this guitar has on it!!!
I didn't do the big belt buckle rash on the back. It was like that when I bought the thing. The last picture of the back of the neck doesn't really show what I wanted it to. The top coat (laquer, I guess) has been worn right off. The rest of the finish is still there so I'm not down to bare wood yet, but when you touch the back of the neck it doesn't feel like you're touching a finished piece of wood. It really feels like you're touching bare wood. I probably should do something about that, but I'm not sure exactly what so I just leave it like it is.
I forgot to mention in the original post that the original tuners have been replaced also. The first ones got to where the thing wouldn't stay in tune. I still have all the original parts (pickups, pots, caps). I'm not sure if I still have those original tuners still or not.

 

[martin H]

I bought my Sunburst '72, 3rd from left in a New York Pawnshop in 1982. Going on 34 years

 

[RustyNuts]

I have a '74 Deluxe that I've had for 35 years now. The only reason I still have it is because it was (and still is) on loan to a friend so it wasn't home for the divorce. Other than that one, the longest owned LP is my '09 Standard that I've had for 6+ years.

 

[Classicplayer]

I bought a used 71 Deluxe in 1975, so that's 41 years I've had it. It's on it's third set of pickups and second set of pots and caps. There are places where the finish is worn right down to the wood from playing, but that guitar is rock solid and has been my #1 since the day I got it.

Those pics you posted for us bring back some memories, not of a Gibson that I've owned, but one I have had the privilege of playing and owned by my favorite store owner from years ago. He owned a ’72 Sunburst Standard which was one heavy and weighty guitar. His amp of choice was in his store which he allowed prospective guitar purchasers to use when testing guitars. It was a 200 watt Sound City and a 4 X 12" v

 

[Classicplayer]

I bought a used 71 Deluxe in 1975, so that's 41 years I've had it. It's on it's third set of pickups and second set of pots and caps. There are places where the finish is worn right down to the wood from playing, but that guitar is rock solid and has been my #1 since the day I got it.

Those pics you posted for us bring back some memories, not of a Gibson that I've owned, but one I have had the privilege of playing and owned by my favorite store owner from years ago. He owned a ’72 Sunburst Standard which was one heavy and weighty guitar. His amp of choice was in his store which he allowed prospective guitar purchasers to use when testing guitars. It was a 200 watt Sound City and a 4 X 12" cabinet. Playing that Standard into that cab was an experience par excellence. The whole store would vibrate whenever a pro-
ficient player plugged in and turned up. I'll bet dollars to donuts that he still has both and it hit me to contact him and just check on the amp's and guitar's whereabouts. Wish me luck.

Classicplayer

 

[sixlicks]

I bought this Les Paul standard new in 1996 . Twenty years I am still playing it .

 

[sonar]

'08 bought in '08.

 

[wallyguitar]

17 years with this 1952 conversion. Been my #1 hands down. The guitar that ruined me.

I've had the pleasure of playing this beast a long time ago. Amazing guitar. What's up John? It's been a long time!

 

[Bigfoot410]

I bought my Sunburst '72, 3rd from left in a New York Pawnshop in 1982. Going on 34 years

Whadaya, 3 feet tall?

 

[Classicplayer]

Whadaya, 3 feet tall?

My guess: It's a "bonus room".


Classicplayer

 

[sibyrpunk]

My guess: It's a "bonus room".


Classicplayer

Your both wrong, he's a Hobbit!

 

[martin H]

Whadaya, 3 feet tall?

My guess: It's a "bonus room".


Classicplayer

Your both wrong, he's a Hobbit!

You're all wrong. The door are normal sized, and everything else in the room is gigantic.


Classicplayer has it right, Attic conversion over the garage - one door goes to the attic, the other is a little server and electronics distribution closet

 

[bossaddict]

I owned my first LP ('92 Studio Lite) for over 20 years and my second ('78 Custom) for 17 years, but sold them both a few years ago.

I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that my current longest-owned LP was acquired about 2.5 years ago.

 

[Mark V Guitars]

Here's mine. 2011 model Studio Faded Cherry. I got tired of the cherry and refinished it. She's a good guitar to me. Here's her best side.

 

[Lloyd_m]

I've had an Epiphone LP Studio for 7 years now, but my longest-owned Gibson LP is a little over a year and a half old. It's a BJA LP Junior made in 2012 and bought new in January 2015.

This guitar is pretty special. I had a hard time bonding with it (took me six months) nearly sold it twice. I've recently realized that it was the best playing guitar I had

Other particular signs on this one, this is the guitar I tried to take care the most and yet it's the one that ended with the most dings .

Some crappy pictures of the little beast: