“This guy comes up and I’m thinking, ‘He wants me to sign his guitar.’ He said, ‘I bought your Les Paul years ago. Would you like to buy it back?’” Bryan Adams sold his Summer of ’69 guitar in the ’80s – but it found its way back to him

Sat Sep 20 03:30:00 UTC 2025: **Summary:**

Bryan Adams reunited with his 1980s Gibson Les Paul, a guitar he used extensively during his “Reckless” era. He sold it in the late 80s, regretting the decision later. In 2005, a fan approached him during a record signing, offering to sell the guitar back to Adams, who eagerly bought it. He then re-recorded “Summer of ’69” with his old guitar.

**News Article:**

**Bryan Adams Reunited with “Reckless” Era Les Paul After Decades Apart**

**Los Angeles, CA** – Rock icon Bryan Adams has revealed that he has been reunited with a prized 1980s Gibson Les Paul guitar, a key instrument during his career-defining “Reckless” era. Adams, whose “Reckless” album spawned hits like “Summer of ’69,” “Heaven,” and “Run to You,” confessed to selling the guitar in the late 1980s, a decision he later regretted.

“I thought, ‘I’m never going to use this… I mostly use Strats,’ and I also started to fall in love with my ES-295,” Adams explained in a recent Guitar World interview.

However, the internet reignited his longing for the instrument as he came across old photos of himself playing it live. By chance, in 2005, a fan approached Adams at a record signing, offering to sell the Les Paul back to him. The fan explained that he was in a tight spot. Adams didn’t hesitate.

“I was like, ‘Oh, yeah!’ So, we did the deal right then and there.”

Adams was so thrilled to have his old axe back that he promptly re-recorded “Summer of ’69” with it. The reunification marks a nostalgic return to form for the rock star and offers fans a new chapter in the story of one of his most iconic instruments.

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