Used by iconic guitarists to make some of the most important guitar-based music in history, it's not hard to see why the 1959 Gibson Les Paul is arguably the most prized electric guitar ever made. Stories about its otherworldly tone, feel, and sustain have been sung for decades by players lucky enough to encounter one.

The concept of serendipity factors heavily into our shop's history - the perfect people, opportunities, and instruments seem to appear at just the right time, helping our business evolve and grow. It's been this way since the shop opened in 1968 and continues to be true today.

What started as a new local customer ordering a handful of custom Calton Cases for his prized acoustics eventually led to conversations about his (unbeknownst to us) enviable electric collection, and long story short, this 1959 Les Paul ending up at our shop.

More importantly to us though, was the deep friendship that was formed via a shared love of amazing instruments - and a little dose of serendipity.

One of the things we enjoyed most about having such an important guitar in the shop over the last few years was being able to share it, and the joy it brought to others who can now sing the Burst's praises having finally encountered one themselves.

To continue spreading this joy to others while celebrating the enduring presence of music making in our community, we are proudly donating a portion of the proceeds of this sale to a local Cambridge, MA institution, Passim, and their Iguana Music Fund.

The Iguana Music Fund is an annual grant program predominantly funded by generous anonymous donors, plus the help of Passim, sponsorships, and community donations.

Each year the Iguana Music Fund gives approximately $40,000 in grants to individual artists in amounts from $500 to $2,000 each. Grants are used for projects and expenses to aid in artists' career growth, and range from recording projects to community programs to specialized equipment or instruments.

The Iguana Music Fund was established in 2008 after a generous anonymous donation was given with the intention of helping artists pursue their musical goals. Artists often have the talent and ideas to create incredible music, but they do not always have the financial capacity to do so. To help musicians overcome financial limitations, the Iguana Music Fund awards annual grants to artists with a residential or tour-based affiliation to New England.

Since 2008, nearly $600,000 in grants has funded more than 300 projects.