From Shidobbee this morning :


[www.gardinerhoulgate.co.uk]

Gardiner Houlgate to Sell £100,000 Gibson Guitar



THE 1959 LES PAUL STANDARD MODEL GUITAR



Gibson's Les Paul Standard model from 1959 is the most highly acclaimed, widely recognised solid body electric guitar in the entire world, coveted by both players, collectors and investors as the ultimate example of playability, attractiveness and tone among all six string instruments. In an industry filled with imitations and replicas the iconic 1959 Les Paul Standard simply has no equal.



HISTORY OF THE JOHN SCATES 1959 GIBSON LES PAUL STANDARD GUITAR



The vendor John Scates was already an experienced, road hardened veteran of several 60's bands when, in 1968, while performing with an in vogue blues band called Pegasus, he saw an advert in the Melody Maker for a Gibson Les Paul Standard. At the time this desirable yet discontinued model was becoming ever more difficult to get hold of. More in hope than anticipation, John called the number advertised and was surprised to find he was speaking to Mick Taylor, who had only recently taken over as guitarist with The Blues Breakers, replacing Peter Green and later to replace Brian Jones in The Rolling Stones. An appointment was made and John went to Mick's West London flat where he handed over £200 and left with the Les Paul. Although a receipt was made out this has subsequently been misplaced.



When John Scates viewed the guitar it was apparent that a Bigsby unit was taken off and replaced with a non-standard stop tail piece. This was later changed by John to a standard fitting, but the Mick Taylor tail piece is offered with the guitar. The rather battered case is a non-standard case but is the one that came with the guitar and has suffered countless gigs.


Pegasus, although not commercially successful, were a tight and musical blues outfit who soon became the unofficial resident support band at the Marquee where John, wielding his beloved standard, supported bands such as Free; Paul Kossoff played John's standard and loved it so much he offered to trade for a black three pick-up Les Paul, the offer was declined. Other bands such as Jethro Tull, Taste and John Hiseman were regular visitors to the club and supported Pegasus during this era. Eventually the band inevitably imploded and John was musically at a bit of a loose end.

A 'phone call came from John's old school friend, bass player and songwriter Steve Hawthorn suggesting that he might like to join Steve's eight piece jazz rock band Walrus, having just lost their keyboard player Hughie, who had left to reform his previous band The Van der Graf Generator. This seemed like an ideal opportunity for John as the band already had a major record deal and Steve was signed to United Artists as a writer. The Walrus album, recorded in the same Decca West Hampstead studio used by the Blues Breakers, was critically well received and given lots of airplay. The band worked many live sessions for Radio One's Sound of the Seventies and Radio One Club.

The single 'Who Can I Trust' with the Les Paul well to the fore was released all over the world, as was the follow-up 'Never Let Your Body Touch the Ground'. During this period Walrus toured extensively and played gigs with many of the top bands of the day including Juicy Lucy, East of Eden, Tony McPhee, The Idle Race, Rory Gallagher, Edgar Broughton, Vinegar Joe and Uriah Heep.


Finally the pressures of keeping an eight piece band on the road proved too much and Walrus disbanded. Inevitably John and Steve went their separate ways until Steve invited John to join another new project, a four piece rock band called Baj (pronounced Badge). More sessions and endless gigs resulted in another internationally released single 'Little Mother' featuring the bluesy rock sound of John and his Les Paul. In recent years the Les Paul has lived in John's home studio where he is working on new projects.

Gardiner Houlgate is proud and excited about being given the opportunity to auction this historic guitar which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

The auction will take place at The Westbury Hotel in Mayfair, London, on Monday 5 October 2009. For further information contact Jamie South (Director) or Luke Hobbs



What do you think ?



I am a Frenchie ,as Mick affectionately called them in the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1977 .

Quote
SwayStones

What do you think ?

I think John Scates played in a number of worthless groups, that's what i think.

[www.iorr.org]

If Taylor bought Richards' LP in '67 to replace one that was stolen, which one did he sell to Scates?