LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - APRIL 11: Ronnie Wood, Mick Taylor and Fearne Cotton attend the unveiling of a new collection of fine art 'Ronnie Wood: Raw Instinct' at Castle Fine Art on April 11, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images for Castle Galleries)
When the Rolling Stones played The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, Keith Richards played a 1959 Gibson Les Paul guitar with a sunburst finish — hence the instrument’s eventual nickname, the Keithburst. The appearance helped to popularize the Les Paul, and that specific guitar has since taken on legendary status. In the ’60s, Jimmy Page was photographed with the Keithburst at a recording session for Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham, and Eric Clapton borrowed it for Cream’s set at the 1966 Windsor Jazz & Blues Festival. Its trajectory since then is under dispute.
