Stu-bud Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 This is Les Paul's 1954 prototype guitar, his Black Beauty. It is being heralded as the most important guitar to ever be made (I can't disagree). I wonder how much it will fetch at the auction. . .Any guesses? I'll start the guessing at $1.5MM. http://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/les-paul-black-beauty-guitar-going-auction-block-n281576 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Depends on how long the tenon is. rct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 "Ahhh Mannnn, he screwed up it's value by modifying it, from the original spec's!" CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twang Gang Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Doesn't seem right to me. Link says that Les gave the guitar to his friend Mr. Doyle. I don't know Mr. Doyle or his financial situation, but it seems somewhat rude to have gotten this iconic guitar as a gift and to now be "cashing it in" so to speak. Price will surely be outrageous and it will probably sit in a collection somewhere owned by someone who doesn't play much or at all. Just doesn't feel right to me that this particular guitar should end up that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karloff Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Nibs ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saturn Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 They're some different looking pickups. Are they some kind of P90s? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErickC Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Doesn't seem right to me. Link says that Les gave the guitar to his friend Mr. Doyle. I don't know Mr. Doyle or his financial situation, but it seems somewhat rude to have gotten this iconic guitar as a gift and to now be "cashing it in" so to speak. Price will surely be outrageous and it will probably sit in a collection somewhere owned by someone who doesn't play much or at all. Just doesn't feel right to me that this particular guitar should end up that way. If its any consolation, you'd have had to refret the things straight out of the factory to make them playable anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly campbell Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 I will guess 1.1 million Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4Hayden Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 $1,225,000.00 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 They're some different looking pickups. Are they some kind of P90s? Mr. Paul designed (and sometimes hand-made) his own low-impedance pickups and, ultimately, mounted them in pretty much every Les Paul he actually used. He had a very strong dislike of the high-output stock units. Eventually Gibson issued this style of pickup on the LP Personal, Professional and Recording models but for obvious reasons the PAF-style p'up proved more popular with 'regular' guitarists. As for the guitar in question being such an important instrument; why this one in particular? All of Les Paul and Mary Ford's biggest hits were recorded before this guitar was even made (their last #1, 'Vaya Con Dios', was released in 1953). There are a few well-known clips of him playing a Custom on his 'Listerine' show but even if this is the same guitar why is this guitar more important than, say, his '52 G-T which he played far more extensively? I've no doubt it's provenance is impeccable but 'the most significant guitar ever made'? Sounds to me like the auction house's Press-Release folks are earning their daily bread. P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btoth76 Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Super sweet! Cheers... Bence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Mr. Paul designed (and sometimes hand-made) his own low-impedance pickups and, ultimately, mounted them in pretty much every Les Paul he actually used. He had a very strong dislike of the high-output stock units. Eventually Gibson issued this style of pickup on the LP Personal, Professional and Recording models but for obvious reasons the PAF-style p'up proved more popular with 'regular' guitarists. As for the guitar in question being such an important instrument; why this one in particular? All of Les Paul and Mary Ford's biggest hits were recorded before this guitar was even made (their last #1, 'Vaya Con Dios', was released in 1953). There are a few well-known clips of him playing a Custom on his 'Listerine' show but even if this is the same guitar why is this guitar more important than, say, his '52 G-T which he played far more extensively? I've no doubt it's provenance is impeccable but 'the most significant guitar ever made'? Sounds to me like the auction house's Press-Release folks are earning their daily bread. P. Yep. They've claimed he designed it as well . and that it was "the prototype" les paul . there's a fact deficit in the marketing blurb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btoth76 Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 http://www.tomdoyleguitars.com/bio.htm P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Scales Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Seems to have plenty of worthy provenance to me and the guy has every right to sell it after 40 years if he wishes ( who knows, maybe for a good cause) imo. Perhaps Gibson could buy it or a major museum. Les was sure willing to try different ideas! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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