1958 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop Darkback, Serial Number 8 3313
This 1958 Gibson Les Paul™ Goldtop Darkback has lived a life few guitars can match. Shipped to Jenkins Music Company in Kansas City on June 30, 1958, it remained in Kansas for nearly seven decades before making its way to Gibson in 2025. It’s been played hard—an instrument that wears its history openly, with the kind of wear patterns that can only be earned by decades of honest use.
The guitar underwent a professional headstock repair in April 2025 by Jim Baggett at Mass Street Music, addressing a “smile” break at the headstock transition and through the high and low-E tuner holes. There is light finish work in the repaired area, and the rest of the headstock has not been oversprayed. Playability was further improved with a refret by Glaser Instruments using Jescar 51100 fretwire, and the installation of a shimmed vintage Gibson nylon nut. Longer bridge post bushings were fitted to ensure rock-solid stability.
Under the wear and tear, the important original components remain intact. Both original Patent Applied For pickups are present (covers off and back on), along with the M69 pickup surrounds, pots and knobs, switch and poker chip, Stop Bar tailpiece and studs, pickguard assembly (bracket, hardware, screws), original backplates, and original truss rod cover (broken at top screw hole). Non-original parts include aged reproduction Kluson® Deluxe tuners, a vintage cream plastic switch tip, Gibson Custom strap buttons and screws, an aged Gibson Custom ABR-1 bridge with posts and thumbwheels, three of the seven backplate screws, and a mix of original and vintage pickup mounting screws from different eras. The input jack is non-original, mounted on a black metal plate secured with two larger flathead screws and two larger Phillips head screws. Solder touch-up is visible on the bridge tone pot ground and on the original switch to address a loose wire.
The finish shows heavy, even checking with moderate greening and extensive areas worn to the wood, especially around the pickups, bridge, tailpiece posts, and arm wear area. The back is heavily worn, the back of the neck is nearly bare, and there’s even a light divot in the wood at the 9th fret—a testament to years of dedicated playing. As a final flourish, a Jimi Hendrix sticker graces the control cavity cover.
Comes with a Gibson Protector hardshell case and its original 5-latch Lifton® case (included in heavily-worn condition), along with a Certificate of Authenticity, Letter of Appraisal, and new Limited Lifetime Warranty.
Specifications
Body Specs
Body Specs
Binding Single Ply Cream, Top and Fretboard
Body Finish Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Body Material Mahogany
Body Shape Les Paul
Body Styles Les Paul
Top Maple
Neck Specs
Neck Specs
Fingerboard Material Brazilian Rosewood
Fingerboard Radius 304.8mm / 12.0in
Fret Count 22
Frets Jescar 51100 (Refret)
Inlays Celluloid Trapezoid
Joint Glued In, Set Neck
Neck Material Mahogany
Nut Material Nylon (New)
Nut Width 43.0mm / 1.69in
Profile Chunky C Shape
Scale Length 628.65mm / 24.75in
Electronics Specs
Electronics Specs
Bridge Pickup Patent Applied For Humbucker (7.86k)
Controls 2 Volume, 2 Tone
Neck Pickup Patent Applied For Humbucker (7.56k)
Output Jack 1/4"
Pickup Selector 3-way Toggle
Hardware Specs
Hardware Specs
Bridge Gibson Custom ABR - 1 (Aged to Match)
Control Covers Black
Control Knobs Gold Top hat
finish Nickel
Jack Plate Cover Black Metal (Non-original)
Mounting Rings Cream M69
Pickguard Cream
Pickup Covers Nickel
Plastic Parts Cream
Saddle Material Brass
Strap Buttons 2 - Nickel (Custom Shop Aged)
Switch Tip Cream Plastic
Switchwasher Cream
Tailpiece Stop Bar (Original)
Truss Rod Adjustable
Truss Rod Cover 2-ply Black Bell
Tuner Plating Nickel
Tuning Machines Kluson Deluxe Single Line Single Ring (Aged Reproduction)
Misc Specs
Misc Specs
Accessories Letter of Appraisal, Certificate of Authenticity, and New Limited Lifetime Warranty
Model: GCVP0146
Case Gibson Protector Hardshell, Original 5 Latch Lifton is Trashed, but Included for Posterity
Headstock Gibson Open Book
Headstock Inlay Gibson Logo in Mother of Pearl
Strings Gauge .010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046
Gibson Certified Vintage 1958 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop Darkback, Goldtop
Gibson Certified Vintage 1958 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop Darkback, Goldtop
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1958 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop Darkback, Serial Number 8 3313
This 1958 Gibson Les Paul™ Goldtop Darkback has lived a life few guitars can match. Shipped to Jenkins Music Company in Kansas City on June 30, 1958, it remained in Kansas for nearly seven decades before making its way to Gibson in 2025. It’s been played hard—an instrument that wears its history openly, with the kind of wear patterns that can only be earned by decades of honest use.
The guitar underwent a professional headstock repair in April 2025 by Jim Baggett at Mass Street Music, addressing a “smile” break at the headstock transition and through the high and low-E tuner holes. There is light finish work in the repaired area, and the rest of the headstock has not been oversprayed. Playability was further improved with a refret by Glaser Instruments using Jescar 51100 fretwire, and the installation of a shimmed vintage Gibson nylon nut. Longer bridge post bushings were fitted to ensure rock-solid stability.
Under the wear and tear, the important original components remain intact. Both original Patent Applied For pickups are present (covers off and back on), along with the M69 pickup surrounds, pots and knobs, switch and poker chip, Stop Bar tailpiece and studs, pickguard assembly (bracket, hardware, screws), original backplates, and original truss rod cover (broken at top screw hole). Non-original parts include aged reproduction Kluson® Deluxe tuners, a vintage cream plastic switch tip, Gibson Custom strap buttons and screws, an aged Gibson Custom ABR-1 bridge with posts and thumbwheels, three of the seven backplate screws, and a mix of original and vintage pickup mounting screws from different eras. The input jack is non-original, mounted on a black metal plate secured with two larger flathead screws and two larger Phillips head screws. Solder touch-up is visible on the bridge tone pot ground and on the original switch to address a loose wire.
The finish shows heavy, even checking with moderate greening and extensive areas worn to the wood, especially around the pickups, bridge, tailpiece posts, and arm wear area. The back is heavily worn, the back of the neck is nearly bare, and there’s even a light divot in the wood at the 9th fret—a testament to years of dedicated playing. As a final flourish, a Jimi Hendrix sticker graces the control cavity cover.
Comes with a Gibson Protector hardshell case and its original 5-latch Lifton® case (included in heavily-worn condition), along with a Certificate of Authenticity, Letter of Appraisal, and new Limited Lifetime Warranty.
Specifications
Body Specs
Body Specs
Binding Single Ply Cream, Top and Fretboard
Body Finish Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Body Material Mahogany
Body Shape Les Paul
Body Styles Les Paul
Top Maple
Neck Specs
Neck Specs
Fingerboard Material Brazilian Rosewood
Fingerboard Radius 304.8mm / 12.0in
Fret Count 22
Frets Jescar 51100 (Refret)
Inlays Celluloid Trapezoid
Joint Glued In, Set Neck
Neck Material Mahogany
Nut Material Nylon (New)
Nut Width 43.0mm / 1.69in
Profile Chunky C Shape
Scale Length 628.65mm / 24.75in
Electronics Specs
Electronics Specs
Bridge Pickup Patent Applied For Humbucker (7.86k)
Controls 2 Volume, 2 Tone
Neck Pickup Patent Applied For Humbucker (7.56k)
Output Jack 1/4"
Pickup Selector 3-way Toggle
Hardware Specs
Hardware Specs
Bridge Gibson Custom ABR - 1 (Aged to Match)
Control Covers Black
Control Knobs Gold Top hat
finish Nickel
Jack Plate Cover Black Metal (Non-original)
Mounting Rings Cream M69
Pickguard Cream
Pickup Covers Nickel
Plastic Parts Cream
Saddle Material Brass
Strap Buttons 2 - Nickel (Custom Shop Aged)
Switch Tip Cream Plastic
Switchwasher Cream
Tailpiece Stop Bar (Original)
Truss Rod Adjustable
Truss Rod Cover 2-ply Black Bell
Tuner Plating Nickel
Tuning Machines Kluson Deluxe Single Line Single Ring (Aged Reproduction)
Misc Specs
Misc Specs
Accessories Letter of Appraisal, Certificate of Authenticity, and New Limited Lifetime Warranty
Model: GCVP0146
Case Gibson Protector Hardshell, Original 5 Latch Lifton is Trashed, but Included for Posterity
Headstock Gibson Open Book
Headstock Inlay Gibson Logo in Mother of Pearl
Strings Gauge .010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046
