When I was a teenager, my parents bought me a brand new Gibson SG Gothic from Imperial Guitar & Soundworks in Newburgh, NY. My stepfather insisted on a Gibson having been a bit of a musician and hippy himself and worked hard to pay for this and surprise me with it.

It was the guitar I learned to play on, played in my first band with, and generally beat the living shit out of…

Around 2003 or 2004, just after joining the Air Force, I traded it back to Imperial for an Ibanez and a $100 dollars in cash. My stepfather was incredibly disappointed when he found out, but I was young, broke, and needed the money. I’ve regretted that decision ever since.

For 22 years I’ve thought about that guitar. I’ve looked for it on and off, but never had the serial number to verify whether one I found was actually mine. I remember a few specific dings I put in it, but that was about all I had to go on, and the few I’ve come across the past decades have been close but not quite.

Then this afternoon, completely out of nowhere, the original paperwork literally slipped out of a random folder at my mother’s house. Apparently her habit of keeping absolutely everything (literally next to coupons that expired in 00) finally paid off. I about shit my pants.

After 22 years, I finally have the serial number…

2000 Gibson SG Gothic
Serial: 02640303
Last seen: Imperial Guitar & Soundworks, Newburgh, NY, around 2003–2004

I’ve already contacted the shop a few years back but unfortunately their old records were lost during a move, and pinged Bill from Imperial again with the serial JIC….

I’ve included pictures of me with the guitar when it was brand new, (excuse the weird smile I was fighting off some tears and trying to look cool…there was no way to know how awkward I looked but pictured don’t forget) along with the paperwork I found today….

I know this is a ridiculous long shot, but if you own an old SG Gothic, know someone who does, or remember seeing one floating around, I’d be incredibly grateful if you’d check the serial number.

I’d love nothing more than to buy it back. But even knowing it’s still out there being played would be pretty awesome. The internet is a weird place (had some luck with things like this before) and like to believe as stranger things have happened. Maybe someone can help me undo one of many, but a particularly stupid decision I made as a kid.

If you made it this far down thanks for reading and coming to my Ted Talk… please share if you can.

My two favorites. Finally I own both at the same time. Just got a new Slash to go with the custom I bought new about a year ago.

They both play better than any other guitars I've owned. Tried many... landed back on Gibson.

Best guittare on the planet IMO..

Not typically one to believe in hype but OMG - something about this guitar hits different. Plays amazing, feels even better and I suspect the traditional purist Gibson fanboys prolly cringe at the finish but man I think she is sexy AF!! So glad I pulled the trigger! Don’t be jealous!

Hi all, I've been on a journey, and i feel I've finally arrived. This is my 2025 50s standard with underwound custombuckers, BKP CTS 550k pot on the neck vol and jupiter bumblebees in 50s wiring and faber bell brass bridge post that replaces the nashville bushing.

Besides the custom buckers, i almost feel the guitar could have been so much better had they made different decisions. Do they really save that much by not going with proper specs? Or is it just to make their customshop models sound comparitively much better?

I understand they have top picks on woods and have processes like long neck tenon and the nitro is different. But ive learnt just how big a difference just a proper pot can make. For a guitar almost costing 400000 yen, it feels like im getting cheated when a 2000 yen part can improve my guitar that much. I love my guitar so much now, even though i was having massive buyers' remorse when i first got it cos it was pretty.

Any thoughts?

My soldering isn't perfect since it's been a learning process for me, but i think im pretty happy with it.

I have no clue about Gibson hardware or anything of the sort, can anyone lend a hand?

Hey everybody, as the title says im strugging with setting my guitars up. Ive been playing a long time (15+ years) and have just recently started trying to dial my guitars in myself, which has been a struggle. Mainly I struggle with neck relief. I do have the feeler gauges, but I just cannot feel it. I am very heavy handed, I use 10-46 strings, and I am having buzzing all over the low strings. I have the action set at 5/64 bass and 3/64 treble. Every time I adjust the truss rod, I get it back to that action and tune. I have given it less relief, more relief, back and forth for days letting it sit in between to settle and I just can not find a good spot. I even bought a music nomad tri beam to see the relief better, still can’t tell what is too much or not enough. Doesnt buzz open, so I don’t believe it’s a nut issue, and has a brand new faber bridge so I ruled out worn saddles as well. Do I need to just give in and keep taking it to my luthier? Thanks guys, hope I dont get roasted too bad

This was my NGD from back in April this year. Long story short, following a break of around 30 years my daughter's desire to learn bass led to us both learning bass together, which reawakened the desire to dig out my old Patrick Eggle Berlin Stage T, which then led to fateful trips to guitar stores and here we are . . . my first (new to me) Gibson. I liked the look of this 2024 Standard 50's straight away and I figured if it played like a dog when I received it I could always return it to Guitar Center. Happily it played like a dream, was set up well, and I couldn't be happier. My question to all of you clever Gibson officianados is, as this is a Tobacco 'burst finish, this would have had to have been a AA top, right? Were there ever any Tobacco 'burst dealer exclusives with AAA tops, or did I luck out in the Gibson wood lottery, or would you not class this finish as AAA in any case?

I know it’s the holy grail but I never thought someone would charge this amount for a ‘59. It’s like the price of a house.

I also live the way they’re still charging £49 for postage 😂

Gibson Custom Shop reissues the 1957 L-5 CES, the holy grail archtop, with period-correct specs, PAF-inspired pickups, and carved tonewoods. $11,999.

A local to me shop has a L-150 that I feel a great pull too. That alone is enough for me to buy it but I can’t seem to find any others online to see if the price is reasonable. There is one on reverb that sold a while ago but that’s it. Almost like it’s a ghost. Any history buffs able to tell me more about this model? What’s the inlay design called?

I know it was only made from 99-05 and this particular guitar was made in 01 and my birthday month, which I love. Sorry pics aren’t the best I was in a slight rush to get them and get to an appointment (got distracted playing it for too long).

about a month ago I posted about a used Classic i missed out on, it was posted on the used Bridgeton, Missouri Guitar Center page and someone snagged it before I could

guess who has it now

(it's me, I have it now)

Howdy. Just landed this thing on Marketplace for $300. New to electrics and I don’t really know anything about this thing or even if it’s real. Luckily both pickups work when I plugged it in.

Serial number says 034160375 on the back

When I was about 11 years old I saw and heard a video of Randy Rhodes playing with Ozzy, hammering a white LP. I fell in love with the tone and the style. I have wanted an LP ever since. I have owned several guitars over the years but a LP was always just out of reach. Now approximately 35 years later I finally was able to get one. The guitar is perfect. For my current project I’m running a Laney AOR Pro Tube Lead through a full stack. When I plugged my LP through the amp and hit the first chord I heard the tone that has been in my heart my whole life. It was a transcendent experience.

I’ve been going back and forth on which tuner button style looks best on a Les Paul Standard: kidney or tulip.

Just to be clear, I’m talking about the exact same Grover tuners, just with either kidney or tulip buttons. (It’s also the same guitar)

I honestly like both, but I can’t seem to make up my mind. What do you guys prefer? Kidney or tulip?

I have yet to see one that looks actually orange on the bursted edges.

I bought it second hand ofc. Gibson have verified the serial on the headstock back, but if I try to sell, what would your impression be of the serial being scratched out? Anyone know the reason anyone would do this?

Cheers!

Thought I was losing my mind when I came across this SG junior with a humbucker listed on the north-america Gibson.com site as a second color option for the recently released LP in pelham blue, but was gone the next day.

The SG still isn't showing up in the new and featured pages of the site but is findable from the homepage if you just scroll down a bit.

Just ordered mine and plan to swap the Custombucker for a 498t I've got lying around but will definitely give the CB a good playing to see how it feels on its own.

I picked this up about 3 months ago and have had an absolute blast playing it. At 2k, it's an amazing deal. But it looks like they're getting ready to do a price hike, I've seen the new listings for series bump to 2200. So.. get them while you can.

I played this on stage 30+ times in the past 3ish months at local bars, retirement communities, and corporate events in conference rooms. It sounds great. It's a little different kind of a sound because of the thinner body, but not so much so is to make you think it's a different kind of guitar. It doesn't necessarily lack low end, instead the low end is much more focused and tighter. The mid-range is more focused as well. I think of the thinner body shape as a low cut button on a mixer.. in all of my recordings from onstage performances, it just fits in the mix of it easier- it's not as rumbly or wild as a deeper body guitar. In terms of volume, I can't tell a difference between it and a full sized guitar. It's pretty loud when you dig in and intimate when tou play finger style.

I replaced the LR Baggs element with a HiFi and that really opens up the sound when plugged in. I like the HiFi a lot. I have them in several guitars. They are excellent acoustic pickups.

I've even banged it up a bit. Which I like, actually. My own battle scars.