For those of you who visit our YouTube channel it will already be known that we are currently facilitating the sale of a 1959 Les Paul Standard Burst guitar formerly owned by Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi fame. To spread some more awareness on this beautiful and incredible guitar with a very rich history, we have decided to make this blog post a bit about Richie, a bit about one the other former owners of the guitar and, of course, a bit about the fantastic 59′ Les Paul itself.
The first owner of this particular guitar, that we know the name of anyway, is John Squire, who is best known for his time as the main guitarist of the British rock group The Stone Roses. Pioneers of the Britpop movement that ravished England in the 1990s, Squires career have also included a solo album and stints with The Seahorses and The Shining band, though he is without a doubt most known for his time with The Stone Roses, for whom he is playing again. This particular 1959 Les Paul guitar is featured heavily on The Stone Roses second album, and as such hold a big part of their iconic sound. When John Squire sold the guitar off, it went into hiastatus for a couple of years before being picked up by Richie Sambora, who have since then used it extensively, often pointing out that his 1959 Les Paul guitars are among his wery favorites in his collection.
Richie Sambora brought this 59′ in 1996, but it is far from his first Les Paul guitar. He started playing guitar at age 12, inspired to pick up the axe following the death of Jimi Hendrix. Around age 17 he brought his first real Les Paul, an, for him, iconic instrument which he owned until he was 23 when it was stolen during a rehearsal period with the Bon Jovi band. Though he is most known for his part as the main guitarist for Bon Jovi, Sambora have also toured with Joe Cocker, auditioned for KISS, released a number of solo albums as well as featured on a large number of records with such different artists such as LL Cool J, Kel Spencer and Superbus, as well as having played and released albums together with the bands Shark Frenzy, Message and Cher among others. Never a man to stop playing or touring Sambora is still playing and recently toured as a solo artists, and is expected to join Bon Jovi for their newest album, with an expected release date in 2016.
The 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard Sunburst guitar series is by many viewed as the epitome of guitars. With no real competition to the title of most expensive guitar series in the world. Originally made as an improved version of the 1958 Gibson Les Paul Standard, the 59′ version features a number of elements that set it apart from its older brother. Though the 1959 guitars were produced to help fix the declining sales figures of Gibson’s guitar sale, the 1959 models did not succeed. Only a few hundred models were ever made and in the years 1958-1960 less that two thousand Les Paul Standards were created. However the popularity these guitars gained with the most popular rock and pop stars of the late 60s and onwards ensured that the Gibson Les Paul Standards of that time, especially the sunburst models, have received an explosive amount of fame and recognition. It could even be said that the popularity of these models is what have helped Gibson stay in the guitar making business for good. A beautiful example of the famed 59 edition this specific guitar is less bursting that others of its type, giving it a truly unique look. As said in the video above it looks, plays and sounds marvelously, and though some might argue that the autograph on the neck is a blemish on such a beautiful guitar, we have to agree with New Kings Road Guitars in that it only ads to the rich history of this model.
For more on Richie Sambora go his website here.
For New Kings Road Guitars, visit their website here.
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