🌟 2005 Gibson USA Les Paul Standard Goldtop Jim Marshall OBE Signed + Case 🌟

🌟 2005 Gibson Les Paul Standard Goldtop – Jim Marshall OBE Signed 2006 🌟

 

This one is rather different from our usual listings because this guitar belongs to me personally.

 

I bought it around five years ago directly from its previous and original owner, Pete, and if I’m completely truthful, I really don’t want to sell it.

 

Since buying it, it has spent virtually all of its time safely stored in its Gibson case. I haven’t played it during my ownership, which goes some way towards explaining just how remarkably well preserved it is today.

 

Unfortunately there comes a point where guitars that are being kept rather than played have to be reconsidered, and this is one I have reluctantly decided to let go.

 

It is a beautiful 2005 Gibson Les Paul Standard Goldtop, made in the USA, appearing to remain in its original factory specification and carrying a particularly interesting piece of Marshall history on the back.

 

The guitar was bought new by Pete in 2006. Pete told me that he purchased it in connection with a Marshall Roadshow event, where it was personally dedicated to him and signed by Jim Marshall OBE, who also dated his signature 2006.

 

There are several further signatures across the rear of the guitar from people associated with the event.

 

Most importantly for me, I didn’t acquire this years later from an anonymous seller with a story attached. I bought it directly from Pete himself, the man whose name is written across the back of the guitar, and I still have his original sales receipt.

 

It is a guitar I have treasured during my ownership.

 

Signed by Jim Marshall OBE

 

Across the rear of the guitar is the large Jim Marshall OBE 2006 signature.

 

There is also the very prominent personal dedication:

 

“TO PETE, All my best!!”

 

along with several other signatures from the event.

 

We haven’t tried to attribute every one of those additional signatures and I would rather be cautious than invent names simply to enhance the story.

 

Likewise, the Jim Marshall autograph has not been submitted to a third-party autograph authentication service, so I am not selling it with a separate certificate of authenticity.

 

What the guitar does have, however, is a very useful provenance trail.

 

It was signed and dedicated specifically to Pete, I subsequently bought the guitar directly from Pete, and his original 2006 purchase receipt remains with it.

 

That is the history exactly as it was supplied to me when I bought the guitar.

 

A Beautiful 2005 Les Paul Standard

 

Even if there wasn’t a single signature on the back, this would still be an extremely desirable Les Paul.

 

It is a 2005 Gibson Les Paul Standard Goldtop, serial number 00865645, and it has aged beautifully.

 

The Goldtop finish remains rich and glossy, with that slightly deeper gold appearance that these acquire as they get older. Importantly, there is no significant lacquer checking across the top, and considering the guitar is now more than 20 years old, its preservation is quite remarkable.

 

The combination of Goldtop, cream plastics, aged tuner buttons and gently dulled nickel hardware looks exactly as you’d want an older Les Paul to look.

 

Original Factory Specification

 

As far as we can determine, the guitar remains in its original factory specification.

 

The correct pickup specification for a 2005 Les Paul Standard is a pair of Gibson BurstBucker Pro humbuckers, and that is what this guitar appears to retain.

 

Period examples of the 2005 Standard are documented with BurstBucker Pros, including very clean Goldtop examples from the same year.

 

The BurstBucker Pros use Alnico V magnets and have plenty of the warmth and sustain you’d expect from a Les Paul, but with a little more attack and definition than some of Gibson’s softer vintage-output humbuckers.

 

The neck pickup is full and warm, while the bridge has plenty of bite and clarity when pushed.

 

Everything else follows the familiar Les Paul Standard formula: mahogany body and neck, maple top, bound rosewood fingerboard, trapezoid inlays, Tune-O-Matic bridge, stopbar tailpiece and Gibson Deluxe tuners.

 

There are no obvious signs that this guitar has been modified during its life.

 

Condition

 

The condition is one of the things I love most about this guitar.

 

For a 2005 instrument, I would describe it as immaculate for its age.

 

Because it has spent the last five years of my ownership virtually entirely in its case, it hasn’t accumulated another five years of normal gigging or home-use wear.

 

The Goldtop remains beautifully glossy and clear.

 

There are a couple of very small marks to the front, all photographed closely, but nothing remotely heavy.

 

There are no significant chips or knocks and, most importantly for an older Goldtop, no notable lacquer checking across the top.

 

The rear has some light buckle rash and fine surface scratching, mainly through the central section of the body. This wear predates my ownership and is visible around the signed areas.

 

I have intentionally never tried to polish or aggressively clean the rear of the guitar because preserving the signatures is far more important than removing a few fine scratches.

 

The neck and rosewood fingerboard are beautifully clean.

 

The frets are particularly impressive. I can see virtually no discernible fret wear whatsoever, which tells you how little hard playing this guitar appears to have seen during its life.

 

The nickel hardware has some very light natural age-related dulling, but nothing excessive.

 

Overall, it is difficult to believe this guitar is now over two decades old when you have it in your hands.

 

Please study all of the photographs carefully. I’ve photographed the tiny marks rather than trying to hide them, together with the signatures and the light wear to the back.

 

Weight & Playability

 

Another thing that makes this a particularly nice example is the weight.

 

It comes in at approximately 8lb 6oz, which is unusually comfortable for a Les Paul Standard from this period and considerably lighter than many examples. A documented 2005 Goldtop Standard, for comparison, was listed at 9.5lb, while another period example was over 10lb.

 

Despite me not having played it during my own ownership, I’ve checked it before sale and it remains a lovely guitar to play.

 

The action is comfortable, the neck feels excellent and acoustically it has the lively response you hope to find in a good Les Paul.

 

Plugged in, those BurstBucker Pros sound exactly as they should.

 

This isn’t just an autograph piece to hang on a wall. Underneath the provenance is a genuinely lovely Gibson Les Paul Standard.

 

Specification

 

* Gibson Les Paul Standard

* 2005

* Made in USA

* Serial number: 00865645

* Goldtop finish

* Mahogany body

* Maple top

* Mahogany neck

* Rosewood fingerboard

* Bound fingerboard

* Trapezoid inlays

* Gibson BurstBucker Pro neck humbucker

* Gibson BurstBucker Pro bridge humbucker

* Alnico V magnets

* 2 volume controls

* 2 tone controls

* 3-way pickup selector

* Tune-O-Matic bridge

* Stopbar tailpiece

* Gibson Deluxe tuners

* Cream plastics

* Nickel hardware

* Approx. 8lb 6oz

* Appears to retain original factory specification

* Signed Jim Marshall OBE 2006

* Personally dedicated to Pete

* Additional signatures from the 2006 Marshall Roadshow event

 

Provenance

 

The original owner, Pete, bought the guitar new in 2006.

 

According to Pete, it was purchased in connection with a Marshall Roadshow, where it was personally dedicated and signed by Jim Marshall OBE and signed by several other people associated with the event.

 

Around five years ago, I purchased the guitar directly from Pete.

 

It has remained in my personal collection ever since and has spent virtually all of that time safely stored in its case.

 

Pete’s original 2006 sales receipt remains with the guitar and will be passed on to its next owner.

 

There is no separate third-party certificate of authenticity for the signatures, so I’m deliberately not claiming more than the provenance I was given and the history I personally know.

 

For me, the fact that the guitar came directly from the man actually named in the dedication is a particularly nice part of its story.

 

Original Gibson Hard Case

 

The guitar comes with its period black Gibson hard case, made in Canada, with the familiar light grey/white plush interior.

 

The case remains in very good used condition and has done its job extremely well, particularly over the last five years!

 

What’s Included

 

* 2005 Gibson Les Paul Standard Goldtop

* Period Gibson hard case

* Original 2006 purchase receipt

* Jim Marshall OBE signature and personal dedication dated 2006

* Additional signatures present on the rear of the guitar

 

Why Buy From Chordplay Guitars?

 

We are an independent guitar shop based in Darwen, Lancashire, specialising in quality new and used guitars.

 

Every used guitar is carefully checked before sale and we always aim to describe condition accurately, including photographing any marks or wear that we feel a buyer should know about.

 

Part exchange is always welcome and we are happy to consider guitars of all values.

 

A £50 deposit can secure any guitar for collection or delivery.

 

UK delivery is available, with free next working day delivery on guitars over £470.

 

You are also very welcome to visit the shop, try the guitar through an amp and take your time with it before buying.

 

International Buyers

 

International shipping is available.

 

Please contact us before purchasing so that we can confirm the correct shipping cost for your country.

 

Any import duty, VAT, customs charges or local taxes payable on arrival are the responsibility of the buyer and are not included in the purchase price or shipping charge.