Lenny Kravitz: “People used to show up with incredible old Gibson guitars that had been hiding under the bed for years”

It was a truly strange and magical era. Kravitz would be getting ready to head back to the tour bus after a show — and suddenly make the gear purchase of a lifetime: a genuine vintage holy grail at an unbeatable price. Sadly, those days are now behind us.

Lenny Kravitz has a problem — and maybe you can relate. He is completely addicted to guitars. He loves gear. And his condition is especially serious because his taste leans toward ultra-rare guitar amps and instruments — such as legendary Dumble electric guitars from the golden era. And those kinds of treasures come with a very high price tag.

When you listen to Kravitz’s most famous recordings, you are hearing these vintage unicorns in action, doing exactly what they were built to do.

Are You Gonna Go My Way? was recorded using a 1953/1954 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop. His collection also includes a 1959 Les Paul Custom, a 1959 Les Paul Standard, old Stratocaster models, and a range of acoustic guitars from Gibson. Kravitz has a natural eye for this kind of gear. And somehow, these rare instruments always seem to find their way to him.

When vintage guitars came straight to the artist

Not so long ago, some of the finest guitars Kravitz has ever owned were purchased right in the parking lot after his shows.

Fans would arrive carrying a brown Lifton case under their arm — a sight guaranteed to make any vintage enthusiast’s heart race and wallet open — and business would be done on the spot.

Speaking to Guitar Player in 2024, Kravitz explained that his famous Goldtop was a parking lot purchase from a man who desperately needed cash.

“During the Mama Said and Are You Gonna Go My Way tours, I really started picking up some incredible guitars. People would show up in the parking lot, find someone from the crew, and ask them to tell me they had guitars to sell,” Kravitz recalled.

A court case, a lawyer — and a legendary Goldtop

“I came across some truly amazing instruments. There was one guy who was facing trial and urgently needed money for his lawyer. That’s how I got that Goldtop, which is still my number one Les Paul. He also had a ’57 Telecaster and an early-’50s Stratocaster. I still own all of those guitars today.”

It was a more innocent time. In a recent interview with Guitar World, Kravitz reflects with a hint of nostalgia: those days are long gone. Today, everyone understands the financial reality of owning a player-grade 1960s Stratocaster that’s been sitting in the attic for decades — and they are looking to cash in.

“People used to come with some incredible old Gibson guitars that had been hiding under the bed or something,” Kravitz laughs. “It’s definitely not what it used to be.”

Why the parking lot guitar trade is over

Does this mean Kravitz has stopped buying gear in parking lots? Unfortunately, yes.

“If people bring guitars now, they want a ridiculous amount of money,” says Kravitz. “Very often it’s a professional dealer with professional-level prices. Back then there was no internet, people didn’t research values, and the market was completely different.”

Still, those parking lot deals served him extremely well. He tells Guitar World that his Goldtop remains in regular rotation.

“I have several of them, but this one is a conversion,” Kravitz explains. “At some point in its life, someone installed PAF pickups and removed the tailpiece. It is the most incredible-sounding guitar I own. I believe it dates from around 1954.”