I remember getting this in late Summer.  I'm glad my Dad was there when I bought it, other than to co-sign, because he's the one that saved me $500 on the finish/seam check.  That was back when you could haggle at Long and McQuades.  Thanks, Dad.  I didn't have to wash dishes to pay this off since I graduated to Short Order Cook by this time.  As a side note, at the same time, L&M had a Les Paul Custom in black with a P-100 in the back and a staple pickup in the front.  Those are real if you hear of them.

Is it rare or not?  Depending on what I've read, Yes... or No.  As far as I know, I don't have a Showcase model and really wouldn't know what to look for if I did.

"This guitar is a 1989 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop (1956 Style) originally equipped with P-100 pickups. Goldtops from this era are comparatively rare, with some sources claiming only 400 were built between 1988 to 1991. This is a close (though not exact) re-issue of a 1955-57 Les Paul standard, the main difference being it was originally shipped with P-100 pickups. These are a more recent Gibson innovation, visually identical to P-90s but built with two coils as stacked humbuckers. Players have differing opinions about the sound of these pickups, which can be quite meaty, but those who prefer the traditional P-90 sound can easily swap them out, which is what has been done here."

It won't be that easy.  The routes are deeper for the P-100s than P-90s so you'd have to get foam of some kind to stick in there.

Reverb seller listing:

""Standard" on truss rod cover and speed knobs. Gibson told me this was a 1 year only combination, approximately 100 were made, the other 3 years this model was made had blank truss rod cover and top hat knobs with pointers. P100s (also no longer offered by Gibson) are a stacked P90 to eliminate hum. With OHSC (latch for lock is missing) Normal player wear, I mostly used it in the studio, gigged with it maybe 6 times. Nice '55-'56 Les Paul neck profile similar to my original '55 Gold Top (which got stolen-this replaced it). I hate to sell it but I'm moving out of the country and can't take everything :("

or

"Limited Edition 1989 Gibson Les Paul Standard Gold Top with factory P-100 pickups. This Limited Edition model was purportedly produced for the Japanese market in limited quantities (in the 200 - 400 range). Nationwide Guitars is happy to offer this one for sale. The guitar is reminiscent of the classic 1956 P-90 Les Paul Gold Top but is equipped with hum-canceling P-100 pickups. In being true to the 50's, the guitar has a one piece body with a maple top and a one piece neck with beautiful rosewood fingerboard. This is a very clean Excellent Plus condition example with only minor wear & tear and retaining it's vibrant color. Except for one strap button the guitar is all original and one of it's best features is it weighs in at very comfortable 9.05 pounds. Included is its Gibson Brown Hardshell Case with pink lining (some magic marker writing on the top of the case). A great playing Limited Edition Les Paul."

If it's true, then I feel kind of stupid schlepping this though every bad bar (and some good bars) in Windsor for a good 10 years.

So now I had two Les Pauls and I wasn't even 18 (it's just how my Birthday falls).  The difference between this and the Junior was night an day.  The Goldtop was brighter while the Junior wasn't.  Could it be the maple top or the pickups?  After having it for over 30 years, I can say it's the P100s.  They get knocked on in forums but I've never had a problem with them.  If you like Firebird pickups, then you should like a P100, if you can find them.  I only put that together after playing a Firebird.  At first the weight didn't bother me, until years later.  It's a heavy one; still the heaviest instrument I own.

And I learned a lot on this guitar and I'm glad I had this to learn on or I think things would have taken longer to get to.  The neck is a treat too, a smaller C.  This guitar has seen the inside of a lot of bad bars, that's for sure.  Once I got the Goldtop, it was my main guitar.  I'm glad these were humbuckers and not real P90s because it would have made playing loud noisy and back in the early 90s, I was using this through a Fender blackface Super Twin or, at home, a Fender VibroChamp (silverface).  Can't go wrong. 

And this was my main bar guitar up until 2001/2002; maybe a little earlier since I would have brought out my Les Paul Special (with P100s) instead.  I retired it because it was heavy and rare (P-90s, let alone P-100s, were rare back then), and I didn't want it stolen.  Thankfully, at the time of writing, I've never had any instrument or gear stolen from a gig.

The Goldtop stays home now.  I don't record with it as much as I used to.  I should rephrase that, I don't record with this at all anymore.  I'd have to go back and listen to when I used it last.  The guitar is usually in its case because I like having my newer instruments out. 

Not a lot changed to it, except the finish check seam line is a lot longer now, going up to the toggle switch.  That was my fault for leaving the window open one Spring day.  The guitar didn't like the temperature change.  This is the first Les Paul where I adjusted the toggle switch to left/right (looking down) so the toggle swtich matches what pickup is on, like a Tele or a Strat.  Parts-wise, the only thing I did was try a set of replacement pickups for a short while (Razors).  I found that the Goldtop doesn't distort as much as I like when being used with the DS-1 so I thought different pickups might help.  At the time when I did that, finding a set of stacked coil humbuckers in a P90 size wasn't easy (I don't think that's changed).  Anyways, the original pickups went back in it and I got it refretted and that's where that's at.

The pictures I see online about this model all have the amber skirted speed knobs.  Mine came with the normal gold Speed Knobs, and they're not going anywhere.  A long time ago, one cracked and fell off.  I didn't lose it but I did KrazyGlue it to the pot and it's been there ever since. 

Sometimes I think about getting a new Goldtop but I'm still happy with the Goldtop I have.  I'll never sell it, and it'll be joining me when I move into an urn.

I wish they all had this nice of a belly carve.