When it comes to vintage Les Paul Standards, three years are most coveted: 1958, 1959, and 1960. However, it’s the 1959 models that are often hailed as the “Holy Grails” of guitars. While the Les Paul currently listed on Reverb is a 1958 model, it comes with a Bigsby tremolo and a hefty price tag to match. The current bid? A staggering $282,359!
One key factor that sets this particular Les Paul apart is its previous ownership. The guitar was once owned by Alan Rogan, a renowned guitar tech who worked with legendary musicians like Pete Townshend, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, and Keith Richards. While the listing doesn’t specify exactly which guitarists played this instrument, given Rogan’s impressive resume, this Les Paul may have an important history. (We’ve reached out to the seller for more details on potential players.)
But who could’ve owned this particular guitar? Let’s look at some of the possibilities.
Keith Richards’ Les Paul—famously known as the Keith-Burst—is one of the most influential guitars in rock history. Richards was a key figure in popularizing the model and cementing 1959 as the most iconic year for Les Pauls.
That said, it’s unlikely that the guitar listed on Reverb is the Keith-Burst. If it were, the price would easily exceed $1 million. But still, Keith’s legacy with the Les Paul—especially the 1959 models—adds to the allure of any similar instrument.
You can read more about Keith’s guitar here Keith Richards’ 1959 Gibson Les Paul “Keith Burst”
Eric Clapton was only seen playing a Bigsby-equipped Les Paul Standard once—during the Windsor Jazz and Blues Festival in July 1966. While it’s unlikely that this is the same guitar, it would still be a significant find if it were.
There’s even speculation that Clapton may have borrowed the guitar from Keith Richards, whose Les Paul was stolen shortly before Clapton’s festival appearance. However, much like Keith’s Keith-Burst, the fate of Clapton’s Bigsby Les Paul is shrouded in mystery.
In any case, if you wanna learn more about this guitar, check out Eric Clapton’s 1950s Gibson Les Paul Standard.
At this point, we can only speculate about the history of this 1958 Les Paul. Without more details from the seller, it’s hard to say for certain. What we do know is that the high bid and intense interest suggest this isn’t just any ordinary 1958 Les Paul.
We’ll continue following the auction and update this page as new information becomes available. You can also check out the auction for yourself here: Gibson Les Paul Standard from the Alan Rogan Collection ex celebrity owner 1958 Sunburst – Reverb.com.
Thanks to Adam in the comments, it has been revealed that this guitar used to belong to John Squire of the band The Stone Roses. According to an interview with Guitarist magazine in 2024, he used this guitar on the tracks “I’m So Bored” and “Not The Only One” which he recorded with Liam Gallagher.
Based on that same interview, the guitar was somewhat of a recent purchase for him, which means that he did not use it in any of his earlier works.
It’s also unclear why the guitar has been for sale ever since 2021 (there’s a Facebook post by Denmark Street guitar of this guitar dated November 2021), and why already at that point, it was labeled as “formerly owned” by John when we have an interview from 2024 where he still has the guitar.
That is not the Keith Richards burst, the one above belongs to John squire of the Stone Roses
Alright, I will try to dig up some more info on it and update the page. Thanks!