Rod Collins

Good guitars are expensive
Early Gibson Les Paul guitars are very expensive
So what does that make a 1958 Les Paul owned and played by Gary Moore worth then . . .

Well, there’s one on eBay incredibly and it’s yours for a snip - only . . . $275,000
It’s a beautiful thing though - here is that actual guitar

Gary Moore’s 1958 Sunburst Gibson Les Paul

It’s the one that appeared on the cover of his After Hours CD and is fully authenticated and you could say it’s a bit of a bargain because the one I was going to write about is even more (groan) expensive. Being a 1959 Gibson Les Paul I suppose you could argue it’s a bit newer so is bound to cost a bit more.
This one was marketed for $2 million ! - yes that’s right $2,000,000.
Gary Moore allegedly sold it to an American dealer for $1.2million !

Why’s it so special - well it was once owned and played by blues legend and Fleetwood Mac guitarist Peter Green - it’s a hugely iconic thing and worth a great deal of money but I don’t quite see that much !
You’ll not convince me it’s in the same ball park as a Jimi Hendrix Strat which I would consider not only a bargain at $2 million but also a great investment.

Either way if Gary Moore did get $1.2million for his lemon drop 1959 Les Paul then good luck to him, not so good luck to Peter Green who, if legend is correct, sold it to him for £100 after lending him it for a while !

If it’s all too much for your purse then there is a cheaper alternative. Gary Moore was given the ultimate accolade by Gibson when they released a signature series guitar The Gary Moore Les Paul BFG. I’ve not played one so cannot comment directly on it, all I would say is that the cost surprised me a little - about £1,000.
That seemed cheap, especially for a signature model, and being frank I’m not sure what £1,000ish buys you in a guitar nowadays - not much I suspect.

Any opinions etc always invited

Finger Pickingly Yours
Rod