Is this really legit?

[Srab Remix]

Found this cool looking guitar on a Swedish auction site.

Can someone identify it as an actual Les Paul or is it pure fake?

https://budi.se/objekt/Id/11444/Musikutrustning/Gibson-Les-Paul-1973F---LP-LPACGM1-1973-F--i-case-med-certifikat--Signerad-av-Les-Paul-

[Jim Bagodonuts]

It's real

 

It's a BFG model Les Paul, and that is Les' real signature

Edited September 6, 2020 by Jim Bagodonuts

[rct]

Looks like a BFG.  Why is "1973" repeated?  It certainly isn't a 1973 Les Paul, if that is what you are asking.

rct

[Srab Remix]

I’m suspicious about it since it has Grover tuners, weird serial number, special volume and tone pots, see through electronics covers and a Les Paul signature. Seems fishy to me... but I’m far from being an expert.

They claim to have a certificate for it, but only show a QC card. How can you even verify that  the signature is real? It wouldn’t be the first time one has been forged.

[Jim Bagodonuts]

I was working for Gibson when we made those. I can't remember why the serial number is like that, but that's Les' signature. He signed a bunch of head veneers for Gibson a couple years before he passed. It looks all legitimate to me. I don't remember any kind of certificate, there very well may not have been. The seller may be referring to the QC card. 

[SteveFord]

It kind of looks like it went through that flood that they had but each to their own.

[Srab Remix]

Got an answer from Gibsons representative in Sweden. It's probably a prototype of what ended up being the BFG model, which is why the  serial number is a bit odd.

I've somehow missed that entire model line. Thanks for your answers. 

[Jim Bagodonuts]

It wasn't a prototype, Les had signed a bunch of blank head veneers, and a small run (maybe 25-50) of BFG's were some of the guitars Henry decided to put them on. The serial number was also a Henry thing, I can't remember exactly what his idea was...