Hoyt’s 1985 Gibson Les Paul Reissue was struck by lightning while it was being stored in a room of his house during a thunderstorm. When Hoyt returned home, he found the guitar on the floor, smoking.
The lightning had split an old pine tree outside the house and traveled through the trim around Hoyt’s home, entering the room and passing through the guitar’s case. It then hit the metal tuning pegs on the headstock and traveled through the guitar, melting everything in its path and even blowing three of the bridge saddles through the case. The lightning also vaporized the strings as well as melting the pickups.
Hoyt has listed the guitar on eBay. Many people have suggested he should keep it, you know because now it has all that lightning mojo ! Hoyt has considered repairing the guitar, but has not gotten around to it and has decided it’s time to let it go.