Les Paul Guitar Stolen from the Rolling Stones Turns Up at Met Museum

A Les Paul guitar that was famously stolen from The Rolling Stones in the early ’70s was recently discovered in a collection of guitars obtained by the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The 1959 sunburst Gibson Les Paul Standard belonged to former Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor, who purchased it from Keith Richards in 1967. The axe was notably played by Richards during the Stones’ historic Ed Sullivan Show appearance in 1964, as well as by Taylor during the band’s infamous Altamont gig in 1969. Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton were also known to have borrowed and played it at one point.

Until now, the guitar was considered long gone, having been stolen from the Stones during the sessions for 1972’s Exile on Main St. at the Villa Nellcôte mansion in Côte d’Azur. The burglary, purportedly the work of local drug dealers that Richards owned money, resulted in the theft of nine guitars, plus Bill Wyman’s bass and Bobby Keys’ saxophone.

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The business manager of Mick Taylor, Marlies Damming, has now confirmed to Page Six that the missing 1959 Les Paul is among the 500 guitars in the collection acquired by The Met. According to Damming, the guitar’s unique “flaming” body pattern identifies it as the stolen axe.

“There are numerous photos of Mick Taylor playing this Les Paul, as it was his main guitar until it disappeared,” said Dramming. “The interesting thing about these vintage Les Pauls is that they are renowned for their flaming, which is unique, like a fingerprint.”

Additionally, per a separate unidentified source via Page Six, “Taylor says he never received compensation for the theft and is mystified as to how his property found its way into the Met’s collection.”

Back in May, The Met announced a “landmark gift of more than 500 of the finest guitars from the golden age of American guitarmaking,” even teasing the guitar in question: a “1959 sunburst Les Paul guitar used by Keith Richards during the Rolling Stones’ first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964.” Gear collector Dirk Ziff was behind the donation, which was in the works since 1987. The instruments date between 1920 and 1970, with guitars that once belonged to legends such as Roy Rogers and Mississippi John Hurt, among others.