Gibson Les Paul Artisan

The Les Paul Artisan. Ah, what an amazing instrument. Made in Gibsons old Kalamazoo factory where many of their great USA-made guitars came from. This thing is an absolute stunning beauty with a walnut finish and gold hardware. They are very difficult to find, and even more difficult to find in pristine condition because a lot of people that bought the few that were made ended up playing with them.

It provides that sound you'd expect from a great classic American made Les Paul. Just standing with this thing gives you a real rockstar feeling. Don't get me wrong, strats, tele's, ibanes, bc rich's, whatever else, they are what they are, but none compare to a big heavy powerful Les Paul, and this is one of the finer ones made without question. A Pristine one of these can easily fetch four to five thousand today. I inherited this one, luckily. 

 This particular one has 3 humbuckers, which most of the late 70's did. I believe the early 80's ones had two humbuckers in the bridge and neck position. The ebony fretboard and solid into the body neck show this is a true piece of craftsmanship from an era when guitars weren't mass-assembled.

 If you can find one of these in pristine condition, you'll probably be looking at at least five grand USD. My particular one shows some playtime, but it doesn't matter because I wouldn't sell this gem.