But I come bearing gifts:
Yes, that is a 1956 Gibson Les Paul Custom. And yes I own it. And yes I am in shock.
***
Storytime:
This week Salparadise went to buy a bass from an old gear hoarder and sent me some pictures via WhatsApp. Among them was pictures of an old Les Paul that the guy "wasn't sure about". To my eyes it looked like an MIJ clone, but could have possibly been an 80s, or maybe 70s, reissue. Turns out that I'd actually met the guy before when he came to my house to drop off an eBay purchase. It also turns out, by some twist of fate, that the old guy was a childhood friend of the father of the drummer in my band!
Anyway, I get to the house and it's floor to ceiling old vintage gear in every room (kitchen and bathroom included). Vintage Oranges, JMPs, Fender Concerts, 60s Gretsch's...everything.
I was here to see the LP though. I took it apart a little, not really knowing what I was looking for, but it was certainly an actual Gibson, only one string on it and tape over the bridge to stop the saddles falling out
The old boy remembered buying it on Denmark St a few decades ago and said he tried to find the embossed serial...by rubbing off some paint 
No serial. Great. A quick check of the Stolen Guitars Database saw all was good, plus the fact he was a known person to people close to me (I have since confirmed my drummers dad was with him when he bought it and remembers him looking for a serial. What a moron).Anyway, we haggled a price that we were both happy with for what we assumed was an 80s-ish Les Paul Custom and I went my merry way home. Obviously the first thing I did was strip it down.
That's when things started to look weird to me and I started putting pictures online for help, and messaging people I know who know more than me. Piece by piece it started falling into place. The bridge had signs of being older still, the routs were a different shape to the 60s and 70s ones, the tuners weren't metal buttons, but rather pearloid...
"mate, I think that might be a real one"
"fuck off
""no, seriously"
"
Fuck off ""No, go sit down and message some people"
Cue frantic messaging of Highnumbers, Zhivago, Vintage & Rare in the UK, ATB Guitars... all the people known to be good and knowledgable.
I've now had at least 20 people confirm what it is and it's both exhilarating and stressful in equal measures. Its a very valuable and rare guitar, I know this, but it's also a guitar I've hankered after for a long time. For now my only plan is to enjoy it but at the same time get it physically to a couple of experts for an appraisal for the home insurance.
I paid £2800 for it. And I owe SalParadise a big fucking drink.
So yeah, hey.
