Gibson Les Paul Custom '68 Fire Tiger Ltd. (2010)

One owner from new, flame top, only 4.24 kg, several upgrades — an exceptional example of the limited '68 Custom Fire Tiger run.

Here's another carefully chosen piece for Les Paul people, sold on behalf of its owner. A genuine 2010 Gibson '68 Les Paul Custom Reissue in the spectacular “Fire Tiger” finish, bought new from Thomann in March 2011 — the invoice is here.

It's been looked after properly over the years, it's in very good condition, and it comes with its original Custom Shop certificate and case.

The looks alone make it a talking point on any stage. The Fire Tiger flame top could hardly be more dramatic: the figure has real depth and there's something new to see from every angle. Put it under stage lights and it's something else again.

Ours has been upgraded deliberately, for looks and for tone. All the upgrade parts were also bought new from Thomann, and the invoices come with it, anonymised on request:

Pickups: swapped to a pair of Gibson '57 Classic Plus humbuckers. The bridge gives a fat, singing PAF voice with noticeably more punch behind riffs. The neck, with those extra windings, has creamy sustain but also a transparent, woody character — nothing turns to mud here. Both react very readily to your picking hand and to the controls.

Hardware: the gold hardware was professionally swapped for good chrome. It gives the fiery Fire Tiger finish a cleaner, more modern contrast, and it won't tarnish the way gold does. The original pickups and gold parts are no longer available.

The weight is a real highlight at just 4.24 kg. The body of this '68 Custom is chambered from the factory, which is kind to your shoulders and does something for the tone too. The response is immediate — every note is simply there. It breathes more than an entirely solid Les Paul, with a woody depth and openness to it, and none of the sustain goes missing. Even on dense, distorted chords every string stays defined.

There's currently an example on the used market with extra holes drilled in the headstock at close to €6,000, which is about the going rate for one of these rare Fire Tiger '68 Customs. Ours is a one-off with sensible upgrades at a bargain price, because we've priced the modifications as value-reducing rather than added. A lovely thing at a fair number.

Price€4,990 VAT not outlined (§ 25a UStG)