SOLD! - 1953 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop w/ factory stinger!!!

This 1953 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop is one of the rarest I have ever seen and most likely the only 1950's Gibson Les Paul Goldtop in the world that has an original Gibson factory stinger !!! We removed the tuners and black lighted the back of the headstock and we can attest it is 100% original. How cool is that?!!
 
Originally, the so called "Stinger" was used to cover an imperfection in the wood and not to cover a break as many think! A stinger will actually accentuate a break visually instead of masking it... 
 
Later on the stinger became the signature for Gibson's high end archtop guitars like the ES-5, ES-350, L-5 CN, Super 400 and Johnny A models. They are rarely seen on Les Paul Goldtop's, SG's and Burst's but they are out there.
 
This beautiful custom ordered example of an early 50's Les Paul Goldtop is such an example. Maybe the owner wanted a Goldtop with stinger because it looked more "high end". And maybe he already was the proud owner of a 1950's L-5 CN with a lovely blonde top, maple back and... a stinger! Who knows. Fact is that the stinger on this Goldtop is 100% legit and it was put there by a Gibson employee in the Kalamazoo factory in 1953.
 
It is a unique guitar for sure that comes from a very reputable dealer in the US. It has no cracks, no breaks, no repairs other then mentioned below. Everything on this guitar is from 1953 with untouched solder and electronics. The neck is nice round and very comfortable with a bit of "V" shape to it. An additional strap button once set on the back of the body but the hole is neatly plugged with a piece of old mahogany, as are 2 small holes on the top from most likely another bridge. Thats it. The bridge is currently replaced by a MojoAxe wraparound for perfect intonation and palm muting. Look at the nice action on this Les Paul! The original bridge is in the case.
 
Whereas a lot of these first year Les Pauls have problems with the action/neck angle, this one has a very nice action. It sounds fabulous and is really LOUD acoustically. Plugged the neck pickup is warm bluesy/jazzy and has a nice deep profound sound, the bridge pickup is sharp and twangy and has a perfect lead rock sound.