"64 Gibson Les Paul

Found at a garage sale in Roseburg, OR, was purchased for $950, this insrtument (vintage mint beauty) was taken to Bandon Crossroads Music in Bandon, OR. Proprietor promptly informed his contact in Texas and the guitar was sold to a collector in Japan for $47,000. The guy who picked it up at the garage sale for 950, received $27,000 for his find.

I don't know the collector's name. But here's the story: this collector got a '66 custom color Les paul a long time ago for 600 dollars. After owning the guitar for many years, it's value had gone up to 6000 dollars, as he noticed when he found a '65 custom color....the same color and added it to his collection.

During this time he was collecting many other guitars and became known by high end guitar brokers dealing with high end customers who are always watching out for his requests. The broker in Texas had put the '64 up for bids and notified the collectoe in Japan that he had a '65, mint, never been played but a few times, this info was uncovered when John at the music store called the original owner in Roseburg to ask if he still had the original tags and sales receipt....he did have them and mailed them to John!

As it turns out, there were only 20 of these made with this color in '64 and it was the same color as the '66 and the '65 the Japanese collector already owned, the bidding started and the Japanes guy had desire and money. It is estimated that these three guitars are worth over 200 thousand dollars as a collection. That is reason enough, paying $53,600 for three guitars worth 200 thousand.

John,
Yes he arranges for these high-dollar sales through his broker buddy in Texas. Let me know when you're up this way I can arrange a jam with Andrist.

There were SG's made but nothing between '62 and '68 with Les Paul's name on it.

The source on this is reputable. This story is simply anecdotal. The music store owner is a band-mate. Are you saying Gibson actually stopped making the Les Paul , or called it something else, or just put Gibson? I believe if they still made the guitar during those years, and I were to see one, I would call it a Les Paul!

I've never heard of a '61 LP--I'm pretty sure they stopped making them in '60 and reintroduced them in '68.