A $25,000 guitar on credit: how Jake Kiszka got his legendary Gibson Les Paul SG and changed the fate of Greta Van Fleet

The story of how great musicians find 'their' instrument is rarely ordinary. For guitarist Jake Kiszka from Greta Van Fleet it even resembles a movie script—full of risk, intuition, and genuine faith in talent.

The musician recently shared his memories of his iconic guitar, which he affectionately calls The Beloved. This refers to a vintage Gibson Les Paul SG from 1961—an instrument that became the foundation of his sound and creative journey.

Today Kiszka is almost impossible to imagine without this cherry-red SG. It is one of the early examples of the model, created back in the days when the guitar still bore the Les Paul name. However, for the guitarist himself, it means much more than just a high-quality instrument.

According to him, a special, almost inexplicable connection immediately formed between him and this guitar.

A fateful meeting at Chicago Music Exchange

It all started at the legendary Chicago Music Exchange store. At that moment, the band Greta Van Fleet was just beginning its journey, and Kiszka was looking for worthy gear.

Thanks to the band manager's acquaintance with the store's CEO Andrew Yonke, the young guitarist was granted private access to rare vintage instruments from the CME collection.

That is where he first saw that very guitar.

"I was sifting through different instruments; we were trying to find something really worthwhile. To be honest, I knew almost nothing about early 60s SGs back then," recalls Jake Kiszka.

But as soon as he picked up the instrument, everything changed.

"I was literally spellbound. The appearance, the weight, the slim neck—everything was perfect. I immediately thought: 'I want to play this... and perhaps take it with me.'"

The moment of truth

The store owner offered to continue testing in a more comfortable setting—at his home, where a vintage Marshall Plexi JTM.

amplifier was set up. When Kiszka plugged in the guitar, it became clear: this was fate.

"It was like a bolt of lightning. I felt as if it was something from above. This was the very sound I had been looking for my whole life."

He no longer doubted—the guitar had to be his.

But there was a problem: the price.

A dream guitar for $25,000... with no money

The cost of the instrument was 25,000 dollars—a sum completely unreachable for a young musician from Michigan.

"Of course, I couldn't afford it. I was just a regular guy with no money," he says.

And then something incredible happened.

The shop owner, Andrew Yonke, saw his potential—and made a risky decision.

"He said: 'You know what? Just pay later when you can.'"

A bet that paid off

This step proved to be fateful.

Since then, Jake Kiszka and his Gibson Les Paul SG of 1961 have been inseparable. The guitar is featured on all Greta Van Fleetalbums, participated in the Mirador project with Chris Turpin, and has traveled the world with the musician.

Moreover, the instrument is so firmly associated with the guitarist that it was recently reissued as his signature model by Gibson.

More than just a guitar

For Kiszka this is not just a vintage instrument. It is a symbol of his journey, self-belief, and that very chance that changes everything.

The story of The Beloved is a reminder that sometimes the right instrument finds you itself. And if you are lucky, there will be someone nearby who believes in you before you do yourself.