“When I took it down for him to try out, he said, ‘I really don’t need any more of these’”: How a skeptical Slash ended up with one of the best ’50s Goldtops Gibson has ever found

The team behind Gibson's Certified Vintage Program prides itself on scouring the world for the rarest finds – and providing guitar enthusiasts with the authentic stories behind some of the world's most prestigious guitars.

“The vintage world can be a murky place to navigate,” Gibson Certified Vintage Manager Mitch Conrad explains in an interview with Premier Guitar. “It can be hard for people to feel confident about what it is they’re adding to their collection.”

In short, “We really wanted to provide the best possible experience when buying a vintage Gibson or a Gibson-made instrument.”

Taking on the role of Indiana Jones for one-of-a-kind guitars has undoubtedly meant that Conrad has had more than his fair share of run-ins with some pretty high-profile guitar collectors.

“We want to find the best examples of these instruments. If you’re out on the hunt for a nice mid-’60s ES-335, there’s confidence in knowing that the model Certified Vintage has is a really great one,” he replies when asked about how he goes about unearthing these precious gems.

“We try to stay away from things that have been broken. Still, we’ll make an exception. We sold a killer 1958 Goldtop that had a headstock repair. But this guitar was incredible. It was not in museum-grade condition, but it was one of the best ’50s Goldtop, darkback, PAF-equipped Les Pauls that we’ve had around.

“That one actually went to Slash,” he reveals. “When I took it down for him to try out, he told me, ‘I really don’t need any more of these.’ And then he plugged it in. He was like, ‘All right, I think I’ll take this one.’”

In a recent Guitar World interview, Gibson’s Certified Vintage manager related how he got more than he bargained for when he paid a visit to a guitar fan who owned a vintage Gibson SG...