Epiphone Les Paul Custom 2008 – Keith Richards Psychedelic Hand-Painted

The Les Paul is an iconic guitar used by many guitar heroes over the years. This is a truly unique example of the beautifully constructed Epiphone Les Paul Custom.

The serial number has worn over time and is faint in places; however, using UV light it is believed to read EE080603499. Based on this, the guitar was made in June 2008 at the Qingdao (elektrisch) factory in China.

This guitar is a one-off, hand-painted piece by an unknown artist. The artist appears to have taken a 2008 Epiphone Les Paul Custom and created a tribute to Keith Richards’ late-1960s psychedelic Les Paul. The original guitar (not this one) appeared around 1968 and featured a hand-drawn design believed to depict the sun and moon from Earth’s perspective, along with an erupting volcano. It was seen during the 1970 European tour before being retired, and is now believed to be in the hands of a private collector. This guitar captures that spirit in a bold and creative way.

On this guitar, the artwork has been hand painted over the original lacquer, giving the front a slightly textured finish somewhere between matte and gloss, so it is not perfectly smooth to the touch. The paint is solid and stable. Unlike the original, the knobs have not been hand painted but instead feature silver star stickers to create a similar effect.

As expected for a guitar of this age (around 18 years old), some of the gold hardware and binding has naturally aged, with areas of plating wear. This kind of natural relicing is something many players actively seek out, and something the Gibson Murphy Lab aims to replicate artificially.

This guitar has clearly been a “go to” instrument, having been played and enjoyed. As such, it has picked up some minor bumps and knocks, all of which are purely cosmetic and do not affect playability or structure in any way. These have been shown as clearly as possible in the pictures and video and may appear more pronounced under direct lighting. If you are looking for a pristine “case queen” this may not be the one, but if you want a guitar with real character and mojo, this absolutely delivers.

The guitar has had a full refurbishment and professional setup, including cleaning of all parts, fretboard conditioning, pots & switch cleaning, and has been fitted with a fresh set of D’Addario nickel wound XL strings (9–42 gauge). It plays beautifully with a very comfortable medium to low action.

The 3-way selector switch offers the following tonal configuration:
• Rhythm position: neck pickup
• Middle position: neck, middle and bridge together
• Treble position: bridge pickup and middle

I have sold a large number of Les Pauls (both Epiphone and Gibson) over the years, and this is without doubt one of the most unique pieces I’ve had come through, a real conversation starter that stands out from the crowd.

Other than the cosmetic signs of use mentioned above, this is a well-built Epiphone Les Paul Custom with a completely unique aesthetic, ready to continue to be played and enjoyed.

I can assure you if this becomes your new axe, you will not be disappointed!

Genuine Epiphone Premium Gig Bag (new) or a second-hand Gator Les Paul Deluxe Hard Case available separately – just ask for details.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Condition: Used – good condition (see description).