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Mick Taylor 59' LP

sonicburst

Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2003
Messages
143
Does any one know when Mick Taylor aquired his 59’ Les Paul with the Bigsby? And what happened to it? Any pics?? any details?
 

The Shifter

Active member
Joined
Aug 31, 2004
Messages
3,397
It's my understading that he bought it off Keith Richards while he was still with John Mayall. Used it with the stones, and I THINK it and a bunch of other guitars were stolen sometime around Exile.

I could be wrong though.
 
Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
2,765
The Bluesbreaker Burst is a 58 and not the one he bought from Keith, which I THOUGHT was a 60. The 58 is in the U.S. and is owned by a Forum member.
 

jayt

New member
Joined
Mar 26, 2003
Messages
97
Mick Taylor has to be one of the most underated guitar players ever. The Stones have absolutely sucked since he left.
 

fender69

Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2003
Messages
998
FWIW, Keef's (that's Keef Richards, not Keef Hartley) burst in apparently for sale. I believe it's the Rockstarsguitars website. What they're asking....I have no idea. Don't have the huevos to ask, but it's probably " If you have to ask, you can't afford it!" :bug :wha
 

Biggles58

Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2004
Messages
937
Strangely enough, I aksed this very question a few months ago on a Rolling Stones forum. Below is the answer I got:

Aha! Great question! Well, it's really hard to tell. First off, at the time Ted Newman-Jones met Keith for the first time (1971 -before the burglary) according to Jones keith had at least six 1958/60 Les Paul Standards. On the pictures of Dominique tarle, three Les Pauls can be identified: one with a bigsby, one that's most certain Taylor's and one that Keith took with him on tour in 1969. Now about Taylor's bigsby equipped Les Paul: taylor had bought a 1958 Les Paul Standard at Selmers in London in 1966, and used it in the Mayall days. This is one without a bigsby. Taylor purchased Keith's bigsby equipped LP in 1968, and used it extensively on the 1969 and 1970 tour. This guitar got stolen during the burglary. Most probably, this is NOT Keiths used in 1964/1965 LP, as this LP is now in possession of a UK collector (who also has Keith's 1957 LP Custom that was painte don by Keith and used extensively in 1967 and 1968) and features in Tony Bacon's new "50 Years of Les Paul" book. Taylor's bigsby LP most probably turned up in the hands of a Dutch guitarist named Eelco Gelling, who played with the Golden Earring for a short period. Taylor bought himself two new Les pauls: a honeyburst with pickguard and a dark burst without pickguard and with open coils (double black). The one with the pickguard he used for the 1972 tour, and the one without he used for the entire year 1973. There's a picture of Taylor circa 1980 in the According to the Stones book of the two guitars. Apperently Taylor sold both guitars when he needed the money somewhere in the 80's.

But: Taylor used a true 1958-era bigsby equipped LP live during the 80's, and he is even pictured with it on his live CD. This one got lost on a train ride somewhere in the early 1990's. I am not sure about his LP! It could be very well one of the Stones LP's!

All in all -the Stones had at least nine to ten LP's, and only three can really be identified: keith's Ed Sullivan LP, and Taylor's 1972 and 1973 Tour LP's.

And I agree, Mick Taylor is hugely underated! :wail
 
Last edited:

sixty2strat

Active member
Joined
Jan 5, 2002
Messages
2,390
Biggles58 said:
Strangley enough, I aksed this very question a few months ago on a Rolling Stones forum. Below is the answer I got:

Aha! Great question! Well, it's really hard to tell. First off, at the time Ted Newman-Jones met Keith for the first time (1971 -before the burglary) according to Jones keith had at least six 1958/60 Les Paul Standards. On the pictures of Dominique tarle, three Les Pauls can be identified: one with a bigsby, one that's most certain Taylor's and one that Keith took with him on tour in 1969. Now about Taylor's bigsby equipped Les Paul: taylor had bought a 1958 Les Paul Standard at Selmers in London in 1966, and used it in the Mayall days. This is one without a bigsby. Taylor purchased Keith's bigsby equipped LP in 1968, and used it extensively on the 1969 and 1970 tour. This guitar got stolen during the burglary. Most probably, this is NOT Keiths used in 1964/1965 LP, as this LP is now in possession of a UK collector (who also has Keith's 1957 LP Custom that was painte don by Keith and used extensively in 1967 and 1968) and features in Tony Bacon's new "50 Years of Les Paul" book. Taylor's bigsby LP most probably turned up in the hands of a Dutch guitarist named Eelco Gelling, who played with the Golden Earring for a short period. Taylor bought himself two new Les pauls: a honeyburst with pickguard and a dark burst without pickguard and with open coils (double black). The one with the pickguard he used for the 1972 tour, and the one without he used for the entire year 1973. There's a picture of Taylor circa 1980 in the According to the Stones book of the two guitars. Apperently Taylor sold both guitars when he needed the money somewhere in the 80's.

But: Taylor used a true 1958-era bigsby equipped LP live during the 80's, and he is even pictured with it on his live CD. This one got lost on a train ride somewhere in the early 1990's. I am not sure about his LP! It could be very well one of the Stones LP's!

All in all -the Stones had at least nine to ten LP's, and only three can really be identified: keith's Ed Sullivan LP, and Taylor's 1972 and 1973 Tour LP's.

And I agree, Mick Taylor is hugely underated! :wail



WOW great run down of the stones gear. I have seen him many times over the last 20 years, this is what I remeber. Saw taylor in the late 80's with max middelton doing some very blow by blowish stuff and mick had the burst with the bigsby.....a very dark red ...blood like, in the club it seemed that dark.
always wondered what happened to it ...next time I saw him he had a Tabaco brown custom with knobs with the metal inserts. I guess it was a mid 70's with a maple cap...my mind is vague on the clues and keys. he then had a series of classics over the years 94 on.

PS you can hear me yell on the live recording of you got to move, on stranger in this town
 

Rich R

In the Zone/Backstage Pass
Joined
Jun 4, 2002
Messages
4,999
I have recently become aware of the details of the incredible circumstances surrounding the "Exile" period in the South of France. I'm sure many here are much more knowledgeable than my meager morsels. What mostly blew me away was the apparently well-documented story of the THEFT of most of the guitars! They are some of the most historically significant vintage guitars on the planet--LPs, Strats, Teles, etc.

Now that thirty+ years have passed, will the responsible Eurotrash please stand up? Anyone? Anyone? :lol2
 

sixty2strat

Active member
Joined
Jan 5, 2002
Messages
2,390
56Tweed said:
Mick will always be my favorite stone...



you mean Taylor ...lol

Shame how they blow him off, he gets 2 lines in the documentary they put out for their 25 anniversy. they big book they put out for the 2002 tour is mostly ronnie and a few shots of taylor.

Got to meet taylor twice...nice guy in bad shape at the time, real shame. meet max middelton too, ONE of the nicest guys you'll ever meet!!!. after the show max starts chatting to us as he gets a drink. the place is empty except for a me and a friend. we shot the shit for a 1/2 hour, like we were old badmates swapping horror stories.....except he played with greats ...lol then max goes, hey lets go meet mick. Off we go to hang....very cool! a lot of leaches back stage very sad! see why max was hanging with us.

Taylor looks like he cleaned up in the late 90's. saw him before a gig sitting in a 450 sl outside a club in ardmore pa on rt 30. I was going to a cheap bar for pre show drinks and mick was sitting in the car with the window down by himself in a the passenger side next to the sidewalk...walking by I said yo mick I think I scared the hell out of him. I think he was newly clean and I figured hanging in the bar with the band might be tempting fate.
 

58lespaulman

New member
Joined
Apr 4, 2004
Messages
1,021
I can't believe that someone would steel the stones guitars.. I think they should be murderd for that shit.. It has to be right up with killing someone..
 

blewsbreaker

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 29, 2003
Messages
1,113
sixty2strat said:
WOW great run down of the stones gear. I have seen him many times over the last 20 years, this is what I remeber. Saw taylor in the late 80's with max middelton doing some very blow by blowish stuff and mick had the burst with the bigsby.....a very dark red ...blood like, in the club it seemed that dark.
always wondered what happened to it ...next time I saw him he had a Tabaco brown custom with knobs with the metal inserts. I guess it was a mid 70's with a maple cap...my mind is vague on the clues and keys. he then had a series of classics over the years 94 on.

PS you can hear me yell on the live recording of you got to move, on stranger in this town

Actually Mick's brownburst was found inside George Michael's browneye in late 69... :photos :photos
 

sonicburst

Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2003
Messages
143
Biggles58 said:
Strangely enough, I aksed this very question a few months ago on a Rolling Stones forum. Below is the answer I got:

Aha! Great question! Well, it's really hard to tell. First off, at the time Ted Newman-Jones met Keith for the first time (1971 -before the burglary) according to Jones keith had at least six 1958/60 Les Paul Standards. On the pictures of Dominique tarle, three Les Pauls can be identified: one with a bigsby, one that's most certain Taylor's and one that Keith took with him on tour in 1969. Now about Taylor's bigsby equipped Les Paul: taylor had bought a 1958 Les Paul Standard at Selmers in London in 1966, and used it in the Mayall days. This is one without a bigsby. Taylor purchased Keith's bigsby equipped LP in 1968, and used it extensively on the 1969 and 1970 tour. This guitar got stolen during the burglary. Most probably, this is NOT Keiths used in 1964/1965 LP, as this LP is now in possession of a UK collector (who also has Keith's 1957 LP Custom that was painte don by Keith and used extensively in 1967 and 1968) and features in Tony Bacon's new "50 Years of Les Paul" book. Taylor's bigsby LP most probably turned up in the hands of a Dutch guitarist named Eelco Gelling, who played with the Golden Earring for a short period. Taylor bought himself two new Les pauls: a honeyburst with pickguard and a dark burst without pickguard and with open coils (double black). The one with the pickguard he used for the 1972 tour, and the one without he used for the entire year 1973. There's a picture of Taylor circa 1980 in the According to the Stones book of the two guitars. Apperently Taylor sold both guitars when he needed the money somewhere in the 80's.

But: Taylor used a true 1958-era bigsby equipped LP live during the 80's, and he is even pictured with it on his live CD. This one got lost on a train ride somewhere in the early 1990's. I am not sure about his LP! It could be very well one of the Stones LP's!

All in all -the Stones had at least nine to ten LP's, and only three can really be identified: keith's Ed Sullivan LP, and Taylor's 1972 and 1973 Tour LP's.

And I agree, Mick Taylor is hugely underated! :wail

Handy, any pics of all (9-10) the guitars? Were they all Sunburst Standards?
 

Tonefiend

Fiendish One
Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
7,656
Check out John Mayall's 70th birthday DVD with Taylor and Clapton. Mick absolutely smokes on his Sunburst Historic LP! He blows Clapton out of the water and hangs right there with Buddy!

I can't see what type of amp he is playing but it is sounding great!
 

keef

Active member
Joined
Jan 27, 2002
Messages
5,006
Biggles58 said:
Taylor's bigsby LP most probably turned up in the hands of a Dutch guitarist named Eelco Gelling, who played with the Golden Earring for a short period

Hmm - not sure if that makes sense - here is a pic of Eelco Gelling's burst, a '60 with marks of (likely) a removed Hagstrom vibrato. The picture was posted here before with the story that it reportedly was one of Keef's stolen bursts, sold to Gelling somewhere during the 70s....now where's the LPF forensic team when you need them??
alespaul32.JPG
 

frisco

Formerly greeny
Joined
Jun 21, 2002
Messages
801
Tonefiend said:
Check out John Mayall's 70th birthday DVD with Taylor and Clapton. Mick absolutely smokes on his Sunburst Historic LP! He blows Clapton out of the water and hangs right there with Buddy!

I can't see what type of amp he is playing but it is sounding great!

if i'm not wrong he used an early 80's red knob Twin Reverb
 

sixty2strat

Active member
Joined
Jan 5, 2002
Messages
2,390
keef said:
Hmm - not sure if that makes sense - here is a pic of Eelco Gelling's burst, a '60 with marks of (likely) a removed Hagstrom vibrato. The picture was posted here before with the story that it reportedly was one of Keef's stolen bursts, sold to Gelling somewhere during the 70s....now where's the LPF forensic team when you need them??
alespaul32.JPG



you mean CSI LPF .......comming this fall on fox
 

sixty2strat

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Joined
Jan 5, 2002
Messages
2,390
greeny said:
if i'm not wrong he used an early 80's red knob Twin Reverb

Not sure but every time I saw him he had a SF twin 135 watt and a JCM 800 wiht a 2 x12
 
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