NGD - 40th Birthday Present & The Dream Realised

gubble

My wife took me to London last week to celebrate turning 40 - something I was dreading and we took a trip down Denmark Street which wasn't as deserted and desolate as I'd been hearing.

A good amount of shops - lots of interesting stock and all the staff were really friendly - had a great time.

I've always wanted a proper Gibson Les Paul - previously had a 2016 Studio Faded from a wonderful chap from this forum which I thought would be my dream - but it sadly wasn't and I just didn't like the guitar - compared to my Vintage V100 it wasn't good. SO i sold it around 4 years ago and continued to dream.

Being utterly ridiculous and superficial the dream Les Paul for me had to either be a Gold Top with P90's or a Cherry Sunburst based on something from 58-60 - and I happened upon this:

2006 Gibson Les Paul Classic - it's in the right colour and the thinner 60's profile neck is stunning. Fell in love with it instantly, my wife was happy for me to spent the money and I bought it. Got it home, gave it a good polish, gigged it Saturday night and can't stop either looking at it or playing it. 

I don't know why but the guitar just fits me perfectly and even unplugged it sounds so musical. Plug it in and in my head i'm sounding like Gary Moore.

Anyway here it is - I utterly love it. I wish i could go back and tell 14 year old me who had the poster of one of these on his wall that it would eventually happen.

Whitecat

Congrats and HBD/HNGD! That is a fine specimen indeed, I love it.

Switch625

Congrats! Which shop did you end up purchasing it from?

bertie

gubble said:

, gigged it Saturday night and can't stop either looking at it or playing it. 

I don't know why but the guitar just fits me perfectly and even unplugged it sounds so musical. 

and that ladies and gentlemen,  is precisely what the phrase

QED


is for.

good GAS my friend

gubble

Switch625 said:

Congrats! Which shop did you end up purchasing it from?

No Tom Guitars - they were awesome - the guys there understood exactly what I was after - understood that for my silly mind it needed to say Gibson, they also understood my budget and just gave great customer service.

I parked the car nearby - honestly I felt sick walking back with the case having spent that sort of money. 

lovestrat74

For my 40th I think my wife took me to B&Q! Happy Guirthday!

Blaendulais

beautiful guitar many happy returns

TTony

gubble said:

I parked the car nearby - honestly I felt sick walking back with the case having spent that sort of money. 

Know what you  mean - the cost of parking in London is mad!


Nice guitar - and even nicer when its finally the fulfilment of a long-held dream.

jeztone2

Congratulations. It looks lovely. 

timmypix

Congrats, that's gorgeous! Being 10 years your junior, the LP Classic in sunburst is one of the first guitars I can remember staring at for hours on the Gibson website in the very early 00s - I think I had one identical to that as my desktop wallpaper. So while I'm lucky enough to have other Les Pauls, I would still love to have one just like yours one day.

Glad to hear it's living up to expectations - sometimes it's good to meet your heroes after all!

MagicBus

gubble said:

Anyway here it is - I utterly love it. I wish i could go back and tell 14 year old me who had the poster of one of these on his wall that it would eventually happen.

I love the story! Enjoy!! 

Offset

Great guitar and what a great story to boot.  Enjoy it!

meltedbuzzbox

Happy birthday fella and I am glad you got something you love

dazzajl

Really glad you found that love of your life in the end.

RocknRollDave

Very interesting to read this, as I recently had my hands around an LP Classic, again with my experience of my own LP Studio as a comparison.

I never gig with my Studio - I find it too dark and needs too much faffing to get a workable sound for what I do.
Played a wedding recently where the groom brought his Classic and wanted to get up and play on a couple of songs, and I had to soundcheck it for him. 

When I picked it up, I couldn't believe it - the (guessing 60's profile) neck was so much thinner than the baseball bat on my Studio it didn't even remotely feel like the same model of guitar. I almost suspected his was a fake at first, it felt so lightweight in comparison, like someone had knocked up a check replica!

But....it played great, balanced well and sounded great. So, there you go. Pretty much the same thing you found with yours, so well done on you NGD!

Grumpyrocker

That's a lovely guitar. HNGD. I really want one of those - I miss having a plain top (they aren't plain at all but you know what I mean) Les Paul.

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

HNGD and Happy Birthday!

It's my 40th in a couple of months. I've always dreamt of getting a really special guitar for the occasion. Alas, I think if my better half was to treat me to a trip to find a new guitar it's more likely to be to the local Cash Converters, not to Denmark Street! 

rlw

Lovely guitar and a belated Happy Birthday

Getting on has its benefits....

usedtobe

That’s smashing. Honestly chuffed for you, fella!!

tony99

very nice, my standard has a 60's neck, much more preferable to me too

NelsonP

gubble said:

Switch625 said:

Congrats! Which shop did you end up purchasing it from?

No Tom Guitars - they were awesome - the guys there understood exactly what I was after - understood that for my silly mind it needed to say Gibson, they also understood my budget and just gave great customer service.

I parked the car nearby - honestly I felt sick walking back with the case having spent that sort of money. 

Sick perhaps, but also excited in the most life affirming way. YOLO etc. Many happy returns!