1983 Gibson Les Paul Standard Cherry Sunburst
On any given Sunday when I was young, my Pop would say, "Let's take a drive through the country." There was no rhyme or reason for these drives- he just piled the family into his 1973 Ford Turtletop van and off we would go, driving through the backroads of Georgia and Alabama, taking in the scenery. My brother and I also knew that if we behaved, the rare Dairy Queen or Icee store visit might be in our future. Dang, I miss those more simple days...
Fast forward to the recent past, when I found myself driving through the backroads of South Alabama on a gorgeous sunny day, on the trail of this '83 Standard. I slid through beautiful green fields and past houses that were larger and more grandiose than the local countryside might seem to hold normally. No radio needed- I put the windows down and let the wind do all the singing. In a word, Folks- perfect.
My visit with what turned out to be two long-time customers (unknown until I arrived) was among the most pleasant I've ever experienced. We chatted about everything from Westies to vintage Fender catalogs to Medallion Flying V's and after giving this guitar the once over, we parted ways to hopefully reunite at the upcoming Dallas Guitar Show. Here's with fingers crossed!
In a perfect world, this guitar would have come with a Heritage Series trussrod cover or a stamped 4-digit serial number and we would be having a slightly different conversation, but here she sits, as from the Gibson factory back in 1983. The quality build of the guitar is immediately obvious and when you strike that first chord, well, everybody in the room just fell in love with each other. The Tim Shaws are bold, incredibly well-balanced and the pots work flawlessly. The finish and color are both impressive and still vibrant, belying this guitar's age of 41 years.
Speaking of age, there are the usual suspects when it comes to signs of being played. There are some surface scratches, light belt squiggles on the back and a few small dings on the front and body edges. Surprisingly, there is no visible playwear on the original frets and the neck is smooth and comfortable.
The case is clean and the package includes all original tags and the unfilled warranty card. It's the real and complete deal, that was, again the gift of a perfect day spent thinking about everything but guitars. Or, as someone once said, "It's the little things, my man. It's the little things."
Please take a look at the pictures, let us know if you have any questions and as always, we thank you for stopping by!
Weight- 9 lbs, 7 oz
Neck depth at 1st fret- 0.865"
Neck depth at 12th fret- 0.977"
Southern Elk Music Co.
We accept, Paypal payments, credit cards, bank wire transfers, personal checks, cashier checks, and of course, cash in a local pickup situation.
We ship via UPS Ground unless other arrangements are made. "General" costs are: Guitars and basses East of the Mississippi river- $55.00-$65.00 Guitars and basses West of the Mississippi river- $65.00-$75.00 Amps- to be determined. All shipping costs can be determined before shipment with a simple inquiry. Items must be returned within 24 hours (of notification of intent to return) in original, as-shipped condition with all original packaging and no signs of use. Buyer assumes responsibility for all return shipping costs unless the item was not received as described.
All customers get a 48-hour, no-hassle return period. Our singular purpose is for you, the buying client to be more than satisfied with your purchase. If there is ever a problem with one of our items after receiving it, please email us at southernelk2112@gmail.com or call Ray Mauldin at 404-895-3459.