Overview

• Mick Taylor’s manager, Marlies Damming, authenticated the sunburst Les Paul by matching its unique “flaming” body pattern to archival photos.
• The 1959 Gibson was one of nine guitars stolen at Villa Nellcôte on the French Riviera in 1971 during the Stones’ Exile on Main St. sessions.
• The instrument emerged in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection after Dirk Ziff donated more than 500 vintage guitars in May.
• Taylor has yet to receive any compensation for the loss and is demanding clarity on how the guitar entered the museum’s holdings.
• The Les Paul’s history includes Keith Richards’s Ed Sullivan Show performance and Taylor’s set at the 1969 Altamont Free Concert.