The $25,000 Guitar He Took on Faith: How Jake Kiszka Found His Iconic Gibson Les Paul SG

Stories about musicians finding their perfect instrument are rarely ordinary. But for Jake Kiszka of Greta Van Fleet, it feels almost cinematic — filled with instinct, risk, and a leap of faith.

The guitarist recently reflected on his deep connection with a guitar he lovingly calls The Beloved: a vintage Gibson Les Paul SG from 1961 that has become central to his tone, identity, and career.

Today, it’s nearly impossible to picture Kiszka without that cherry-red SG. It’s an early example from the era when the model still carried the Les Paul name — but for him, its value goes far beyond specs or rarity.

According to Kiszka, there was an immediate, almost spiritual bond.

A life-changing moment at Chicago Music Exchange

The story begins at Chicago Music Exchange, where Kiszka was browsing gear while Greta Van Fleet were still in their early days.

Thanks to a connection between the band’s manager and CME CEO Andrew Yonke, he was granted private access to some of the store’s most prized vintage instruments.

That’s when he found it.

“I was going through a bunch of guitars, trying to find something really special,” Jake Kiszka recalls. “I didn’t know much about early ’60s SGs at the time.”

But the moment he picked it up, everything clicked.

“I was completely mesmerized — the look, the weight, the neck. I immediately thought, ‘I need to play this… maybe even take it with me.’”

Plugging into destiny

Yonke предложил протестировать гитару в более уютной обстановке — у себя дома, через винтажный Marshall Plexi JTM.

That’s when it became undeniable.

“It felt like lightning struck me. I honestly thought it was some kind of divine intervention. It was exactly the sound I’d been searching for my whole life.”

There was no question — he needed that guitar.

Except for one problem: the price tag.

A $25,000 dream… with no money

At $25,000, the instrument was completely out of reach.

“There was no way I could afford it. I was just a kid from Michigan,” he admits.

Then something extraordinary happened.

Andrew Yonke saw potential — and made a bold decision.

“He told me, ‘You know what? Just pay me back later when you can.’”

A gamble that paid off

That leap of faith changed everything.

Since then, Jake Kiszka and his 1961 Gibson Les Paul SG have been inseparable. The guitar has been used on every Greta Van Fleet album, featured in his project with Chris Turpin, and toured across the globe countless times.

It even became the basis for his first official signature model with Gibson.

More than an instrument

For Kiszka, this guitar isn’t just gear — it’s a symbol of belief, opportunity, and destiny.

The story of The Beloved proves something simple: sometimes, the right guitar finds you. And sometimes, all it takes is one person willing to believe in you before the rest of the world does.