He got in touch, asked if I'd be interested in buying it a 1991 Les Paul Standard - I said "Sure, how much?" - not because I particularly wanted the guitar, but because I wanted to help him out - I'm very fond of the family and the kids as well. He said $2000 - I told him it was worth more (don't get bogged down on this detail - in $AUD at the time, it was worth more...) but he didn't want any more so the deal was down and we then had to work out how to get it from a farm in Queensland to Sydney.
As it happened, he was going to the capital, Brisbane, and my girlfriend at the time was flying to Brisbane and so they did a handover somewhere and she took in on board - strict instruction - hand luggage only! - and it got to me. She was about the highest class of frequent flyer club member you could be, or it wouldn't have made it as hand luggage.
And so I've had it for the last decade and it's been a great guitar for "that" sound. A year ago I got it all set up and I headed north to see the mate and family again and took it with me and he had a great time playing his old axe. And then I took it home again.
Earlier this year, I bought a 2017 Les Paul - the first "new guitar day" thread in this forum has all the details - and ever since I've been wondering what I should do with the other one - keep, sell etc. It's worth about $2500 on the local market. I checked if my mate was ok if I sold "Geordie's Motorbike" as we came to call the guitar, and he was, but I couldn't do it - sentimental attachment etc. Seemed wrong
Anyway, the realisation in my 4 humbucker guitar test thing I did last week, that they all sound very alike, got me thinking "I need to get over the sentiment thing" - I just don't have room for a huge guitar collection - and try to sell it again. I want to get a Tele or a Jag or something, so I need the space, and the money.
Lo and behold, on Friday, out of the blue, I get an email from my mate - his brother, a lapsed guitarist, was getting into playing again. My mate had lent his brother a strat and an amp, and he was playing various other people's guitars that he knew, and he particularly liked someone's Les Paul and so did I want to sell Geordie's Motorbike, and if so, how much?
So now, I'm almost certainly going to sell it back into the family, to his brother - pending a tax return some time soon. And I'm going up there again in a month or two and can take both it and my new Lester with me and we can have a Lester Fest in the barn on the farm - and I'll leave it there and his brother can pick it up whenever.
So how's that for a circular guitar story? Pretty epic and satisfying conclusion I reckon.
![big grin :biggrin:](./images/smilies/biggrin.gif)
I'm selling it for the same price I bought it from a decade ago, although it's worth $500 more. Seemed wrong to profit from the arrangement after I've had the company of such an excellent axe for all this time.
![punk :punk:](./images/smilies/punk.gif)
![METULZ :metal:](./images/smilies/metal.gif)
![hero :guitarhero:](./images/smilies/guitarhero.gif)
![jam :jam:](./images/smilies/jam.gif)
Continue, chaps...