Gibson Melody Maker LP, 2010, satin white. This is a pretty simple thing, but many of the best things are. You get one single coil pickup, a knob each volume and tone and... that's it. Tone-wise, this does a couple of things really well. Firstly, with the knobs dimed, it offers a bright, snappy, Telecaster-ish tone with a thick midrange and a huge attack... perfect for obnoxious country or rockabilly riffs. Second, wind back the tone knob and you get a spanky, warm growl that's superb for dirty blues. There's none of the bling or flashy confidence or a regular LP, but this has a downtown swagger all it's own. The super thin satin nitro finish is ageing like a champ with heaps of checking and a few tasty scars showing off the rich mahogany below... you don't want this kind of guitar looking too clean, so the rough edges add to the charm. The thin body is super light and nicely balanced, so it's easy on the back and the fingers. Plug this straight into a big amp and play some Rolling Stones... bliss.

Model: Gibson Les Paul Melody Maker
Made: USA, 2010 (serial 13200061)
Finish: satin white nitro
Body: solid mahogany
Neck: mahogany, rosewood board, moderate profile, 12" radius
Weight: 2.9kg approx
Mods: one tuner replaced
Pickups: Gibson alnico single coil
Case: original padded Gibson gig bag

Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. There's some marks on the end of the headstock. The neck has some checking lines running all the way down the neck, aside from that it's pretty clean. The back has a handful of little marks around the edges, a couple of dimples in the middle and the start of some checking lines; nothing nasty. There's a bunch of mild chips around the edges, nothing big or conspicuous but they extend around most of the sides. The front is pretty good, just some checking and little chips on the shoulder area, some dimples above the bridge and behind the knobs and some play wear on the guard and top horn. Overall: good condition (7/10).

Playing condition notes: Neck is straight, action is low, intonation is good, truss rod works. All electrics tested and working properly. Frets have some normal wear, nothing major; 7/10 for life left. Wearing fresh 10/46s.