The Met Accused of Displaying Stolen Rolling Stones Guitar

A guitar once played by two of the Rolling Stones is the source of a dispute between the band’s former guitarist and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

A 1959 Les Paul guitar, once played by two members of the Rolling Stones, as well as other big names like Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton, was donated to the Met. The instrument is part of what the museum calls a “landmark gift of more than 500 of the finest guitars from the golden age of American guitar making.” The guitar was donated by billionaire investor and guitar collector Dirk Ziff.

But former Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor says he recognized the guitar—with its distinctive starburst finish—as one he last saw in 1971 at Keith Richards’ rented villa in southern France. During this drug-fueled era of the band’s career, a number of instruments went missing, believed to be stolen. And Taylor believes this guitar was one of those stolen instruments.

However, the Met disputes those claims, saying provenance records show no evidence the guitar belonged to Taylor, or that it was ever stolen. “This guitar has a long and well-documented history of ownership,” said museum spokesperson Ann Bailis.

Taylor’s partner and business manager, Marlies Damming, says the Met should make the guitar available for an inspection. “An independent guitar expert should be able to ascertain the guitar’s provenance one way or the other,” she said in a statement to The Associated Press.

While its ownership is contested, there are some things about the guitar that are known for certain. It was owned by Keith Richards in the early 1960s, who played it during the Rolling Stones’ first appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in 1964. This performance, says the Met, “ignited interest in this legendary model.”

The guitar was also played by Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page, and was nicknamed “The Keithburst.” Mick Taylor says he got it from Richards in 1967—two years before he joined the band to replace original member Brian Jones, who died in 1969. Taylor left the band in 1974, but reunited with the Stones for their 50th anniversary tour in 2012 and 2013.

“Mick did tell me that the guitar solo that he became quite famous for, on ‘Can’t You Hear Me Knocking,’ was with the Les Paul that got stolen,” said Jeff Allen, Taylor’s former manager and publicist since the ‘90s. Allen said Taylor “told me he got it as a present from Keith,” and had mentioned the theft in the past.

According to the Met’s records, the guitar was owned by Richards until 1971, until it was acquired by record producer and manager Adrian Miller, who passed away in 2006. The instrument has changed hands several times since, and reappeared twice in public.

In 2004, it was put up for auction by Christie’s, but failed to sell. Ziff purchased it in 2016 and loaned it to the Met in 2019 for its “Play It Loud: Instruments of Rock & Roll” exhibition.

So far, the Met says it has not been contacted by Taylor or his representatives. The museum plans to open a new gallery dedicated to its collection of American guitars, and presumably, the Keithburst will be heavily featured.