1979 Gibson Les Paul Custom Black

To begin, I would like to thank Michael and all veterans of the U.S. Military for both their service and dedication to our country. Your sacrifice is duly noted and very much appreciated!

A young, 19-year-old Michael walked into Nashville Music Center in the spring of '82 and purchased his first guitar. You are looking at it. He had previously finished his basic training at Ft. Knox, Ky, studying to become a helicopter mechanic. (Ironically, as he was finishing his third month of basic training in September of 1981, I was entering my first month on that same Army base, so for thirty days, we were basically a mile apart, studying different career paths.) Was it fate or circumstance that led us to meet some 41 years later?

Michael then began what would turn out to be a 32-year career in the U.S. Army, primarily as an Apache helicopter pilot. When I first saw this guitar, I assumed he had left it at his parent's house or in storage, but he told me that the guitar went with him on every single deployment, from his first station at Ft. Campbell, Ky to his final at Ft. Irwin, Ca. After a second career as a California Highway Patrolman, he retired in 2021 and found himself and his family landing in the wistful countryside of south Alabama, at the end of a single-lane road in a beautiful house with a pond out front. It's literally a storybook ending to a life well spent and this Custom has been his trusty companion for the entire journey.

Now settled and in official "Man, I'm just chillin" mode, Michael has taken to playing an acoustic Martin (at the request of his young daughter, who much more prefers the mellow sounds of a dreadnaught than the raging roar of a '70s leviathan) and saw no need for this guitar to just sit in its case and not being played. That's how it happened, that's how we came together and we're honored to be chosen to place this guitar with its next steward. Again, Michael, the pleasure was all mine and it sunsetted what was an extraordinary Wednesday afternoon!

Now, to the details; This Les Paul is 43 years old and has traveled all over the United States, so is there some light belt buckling and surface scratches on the back- yep. A few small dings on the front- absolutely. Some cool checking on the front and back of the headstock- you got it. A small bit of wear on the gold hardware- of course, but if you are looking for a late '70 memory maker to take you back to the wonderment and excitement of getting your first guitar, we think we have a world-class contender here.

In closing, there are a couple of small "icings on top of the cake" we'd like to mention to round out this exceptional experience. First, the paperwork is among the most complete set we've ever acquired and there's even a warranty card and tag for the Gen 2 case. You don't see that every day and finally as if to wrap this entire saga up perfectly, the final two digits of the serial number are...you guessed it- 79.