ROCK guitar fans will be familiar with the shape of the iconic Gibson Les Paul electric guitar.
But this particular one is no ordinary Les Paul, which is why it’s on the market to the tune of £100,000.
It’s currently in the safe hands of Phil Carwardine, owner of Vintage and Modern Guitars, in Thame, who is arranging the sale for a customer of the one-off model that’s likely to cause one heck of a stir when its sale goes global.
Phil said: “It’s a 1960 Les Paul standard ‘burst’ (sunburst), which is pretty much the holy grail of guitars.
“It’s one of only about 1,700 that were made worldwide and as Les Pauls started about 1958, there aren’t many of the originals left.”
Aylesbury-born Phil, who went to John Colet school, moved into the Thame premises in Cornmarket about 16 months ago after running Vintage and Modern as a purely online business.
“Thame’s a cracking town,” said Phil.
“It has a good feel, a vibrant atmosphere and this is the right premises for it.”
The shop is tucked away in an alley next to Thame’s oldest pub, the Birdcage, and the historic, vaulted ceiling premises, featuring original beams, is stacked full of revered relic guitars alongside brand new models.
No mean guitar player himself, Phil showcases his fingerpicking ‘western swing’ skills at the James Figg pub in Thame, which has an open mic night on the first Thursday of every month.
Phil’s shop recently went ‘global’ and appears on the world famous Google 360, giving a ‘virtual walk’ around the premises after it was photographed two weeks ago.
