Roadgod Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 The most amazing thing happened to me tonight! I actually traded guitars with Les Paul! O:)/ Yes, THE Les Paul and no I'm not sh!##ing you!!!! I took my 1971 Les Paul Recording that I recently got to have Les Paul sign it and he actually traded one of his own guitars for it! NO, I am not kidding you! It was the guitar on stage, a Les Paul Studio, that he used for guests and the list of people who have played it besides him is like a who's who of the guitar world. Everyone from Jimmy Buffet to Joe Perry and the list goes on and on. This is a real piece of history! At first when he saw my Recording he said it looked like the one he has, which it does. I told him, jokingly, I'd trade him. Then he says I'll trade you for the one on stage. I had to ask if he was serious and he said sure! He told me I didn't have to if I didn't want to and I again asked him if he was kidding. He had his tech Chris bring it from the stage so I could look at it and I went for the trade! He even signed the one from the stage and we sat and talked for well over 30 minutes about music and life. It was an amazing conversation! Could someone please tell me what year this is? The serial number is 019750453. Here are the pictures and two at the end of Les with the guitar behind him and Brad Whitford of Aeromsith playing it last year when I was there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 Amazing! You can do a SN# I dont have a link but someone here will. It looks like it was made in '05 on the 197 day of the year and the 453 production unit. I think! Thats a guess. I had that same Studio and my wife is still mad I sold it. Great story...........Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibson CS Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 RoadGod... Thats amazing!...Thats a story to pass down to your kids. Les Paul is a living legend and a true genius. Well done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flight959 Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 YOU LUCKY BAS*ARD!!! Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lpplayer Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 If memory serves, the first and fifth number is the year, so yours may be a 2005 model. Tried to get on guitardater.org but it is not working, if it comes back you can try there, or call Gibson. What a great story.......I'd keep it forever and pass it down to my kids. Good for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geetar_Axl Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 Wow! Amazing! But why would you trade a rare guitar for a Studio? There not the best Gibsons out there... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deftone Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 That's really cool. I used to have a wine red studio. It's a really beautiful guitar. What a great experience! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FennRx Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 you got ripped off :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
led floyd9 Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 Lucky! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadgod Posted February 5, 2008 Author Share Posted February 5, 2008 Thanks all! I can easily pick up another Recording. But how often do you think Les will let one of his personal guitars go? I believe I would rather have one of his guitarseven if it's not the best model, than one that only has his name on it. Besides, it wasn't mint and had a couple nice dings to it and also the usual finish issue up by the neck from sitting on a stand too long. If it was mint I may have had second thoughts. But probably not because of the history this guitar has. :D It could use a good cleaning but I'm really not sure that I should. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saturn Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 According to the info over on the other side of Gibsons website, SN 019750453 was made on July 16, 2005 and was the 453 instrument stamped that day. BTW, I think that's and awsome story you have. I probably would have made the trade no matter what guitars were involved (within reason) just to have such a piece of history. Good going! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingarmadillo Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 Great story. FWIW, if you read all of the serial number stuff, you'll find that electrics start with stamping number 300 so that was the 153 electric stamped that day not the 453 guitar for the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saturn Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 Great story. FWIW' date=' if you read all of the serial number stuff, you'll find that electrics start with stamping number 300 so that was the 153 electric stamped that day not the 453 guitar for the day.[/quote'] I thought that 453 was a little high. I guess I didn't read it close enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarGuy503 Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 Wow! Amazing! But why would you trade a rare guitar for a Studio? There not the best Gibsons out there... Exactly my thoughts..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarGuy503 Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 you got ripped off :) lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarGuy503 Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 He should have just given you the studio and signed the guitar you took and let you keep them both. Neat situation (meeting Les Paul and all) but I think he took advantage of you dude... Really I do... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TattooedCarrot Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 He took you for a ride, you should have held out for this custom instead :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fender Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 Well at least you can say that there's one time that you got ripped off majorly in your life and you weren't upset about it. I would've asked him for the custom too, but who knows how that could've played out. I guess that's about as close as you ever get to having sex with him. Either way, i am sure it hurt and over time it'll seem less demeaning. Nah, but joking aside, you must've been so star-struck that it didn't matter if he was trading you a 300$ Epiphone. Maybe you'll start seeing him use your guitar a lot too. That'd be pretty interesting. I always heard his favorite's were the low impedance Recording makes. Nice story. You're a lucky guy none the less! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadgod Posted February 6, 2008 Author Share Posted February 6, 2008 That black guitar is one of the first he ever made in the recording style and he doesn't like to bring it to gigs. I don't think he'd trade anything in the world for that one as that's his baby. If I'm not mistaken, he only brings 3 guitars to a gig, his black one when he does, his tan one like the one I traded for and the red studio. I was far from star struck as I have met Les many times and I have known his rhythm guitar player Lou Pallo for many years. He has been great friends with my mom since I was little. I also do artist relations for a well known equipment company and to meet people in the business is what I do. The Recording was really not in that great of shape and as far as a collector's model, that one would have been at the end of the food chain. I also checked the electronics when I got it. The 3 way switch was not that great and neither were the other tone switches. Also, the frets were not that great either. And yes, I did tell him because I wanted to be sure he knew what he was getting as well. I believe he was going to use it for parts for another because I think that's about all it was worth shape wise. I just wanted something that looked like his that was signed to hang on the wall and instead, I would up with a piece of history. No matter what you say, there is no way I will ever think I got ripped off. There are plenty of Recordings out there and I believe some here even have one. But how many of you have a guitar that actually belonged to Les? That my friends pretty much closes the case for me. And thanks for the poster's help on the serial number. It didn't look that old to me. You guys are the best! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Plains Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 I wonder if Les has his own post at some other forum? Les Paul: "Hey guys, guess what? I just took some guy for a '73 Recording and in return I gave him my old beater. I can't believe he went for it" Just joking man...I would have done the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 I'll take a Studio from Les Paul anyday, **ck the recording... You did good and have a story to tell forever... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stewie Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 For all of you that think he got majorly ripped off, a mint condition Gibson Recorder is worth between 1700 and 2000 dollars. A Studio today is about 1200. Having the provenance that it was one of the last Les Pauls that Les Paul owned is worth much more. He is after all getting a little on in years. In the future it will be even more. Also when they talk about the guitars that Les Paul owns they will talk about the recorder that he traded for, at one of his gigs. Man what a story! Come on guys take a step back and take at look at this. There are how many millions of Les Pauls out there. How many of them do you think he actually owned. If I were you Roadgod I would be tickled pink and it would be in one of those display cases. Make sure you get hard copies of those photos and frame them with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deftone Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 For all of you that think he got majorly ripped off' date=' a mint condition Gibson Recorder is worth between 1700 and 2000 dollars. A Studio today is about 1200. Having the provenance that it was one of the last Les Pauls that Les Paul owned is worth much more. He is after all getting a little on in years. In the future it will be even more. Also when they talk about the guitars that Les Paul owns they will talk about the recorder that he traded for, at one of his gigs. Man what a story! Come on guys take a step back and take at look at this. There are how many millions of Les Pauls out there. How many of them do you think he actually owned. If I were you Roadgod I would be tickled pink and it would be in one of those display cases. Make sure you get hard copies of those photos and frame them with it. [/quote'] I totally agree. I don't buy guitars as an investment, I buy guitars that suit my personal tastes. I would definitely swap an LP Recording for Les Paul's personal LP studio, also played by numerous guitar heros. There's more to a guitar than how much it's worth in dollars. That guitar has soul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjay777 Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 That is unbelievable! I wonder if he'd make a trade for my Classic.... hehe Nice pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingarmadillo Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 That is unbelievable! I wonder if he'd make a trade for my Classic.... Maybe he'd trade the Recorder which has presumably just increased in value by becoming one of Les Paul's personal guitars! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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