On loan to The Met The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Les Paul Standard, serial #9 3182
Gibson American
Keith Richards British
Not on view
Richards played this guitar during the Rolling Stones’ first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, in 1964. Along with Eric Clapton, he was one of the first influential guitarists to use the Les Paul Standard after it was discontinued in 1961, reviving interest in the model and leading Gibson to begin producing the Les Paul Deluxe in 1968. Richards’s use of this instrument has helped establish the 1958–60 sunburst-finish Les Paul Standard as one of the most sought-after electric guitars in the world. He later switched to Fender Telecasters for the majority of his playing.
Technical Description:
Mahogany body and neck, carved maple top, rosewood fingerboard; 24¾ in. scale; sunburst finish with cream binding; set neck with pearloid trapezoid inlays and cream binding; inlaid mother-of-pearl Gibson logo on headstock; two PAF humbucking pickups, three-way selector switch, two volume and two tone controls; nickel-plated ABR-1 tune-o-matic bridge, patent numbered Bigsby B7 vibrato, and Grover Rotomatic tuners, clear and gold knobs, cream plastic pickguard; tuners replaced, Bigsby vibrato installed
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