kirk hammettmetallica
17:18 Thursday, 23 March 2023
Metallica's Kirk Hammett has shown his affinity not only for unique horror-centric guitars, but also legendary guitars with a sense of history. And now he's added a super rare guitar to his collection, tracking down a 1959 Les Paul Standard in Factory Black with a Bigsby vibrato.
Hammett shared his new guitar acquisition on social media, crediting Carter Vintage Guitars in Nashville for connecting him with the rare guitar. Per Guitar World, what makes the instrument so unique is that the Les Paul Standards did not come in the color of the Factory Black guitar at the time of its release, so coming across one was quite the find.
"This is one unique, amazing sounding guitar," wrote Hammett. "Thank you everyone at Carter’s vintage - @cartervintageguitars, Ben Montague - @benmontague and the man himself, Walter Carter. You’ve been great with your help and expertise. Thanks so much."
READ MORE: Kirk Hammett Finds Factory Twin of His Rare Fleetwood Mac Guitar
He also noted, "By the way, Greeny is a little jealous," a reference to the legendary '59 Les Paul Standard once owned by Fleetwood Mac's Peter Green and then afterward by Gary Moore. That guitar is valued at more than $2 million and is considered to be one of the most expensive guitars in the world.
As for Hammett's new purchase, Carter Vintage Guitars recently offered a bit more history on the instrument.
"This original 1959 Les Paul Standard was custom ordered with a black finish and a Bigbsby making it one of the rarest Les Pauls ever made," the wrote, then revealing. "The story goes that a young Jazz guitarist Joseph Arena wanted a black guitar to match his tuxedo but a Les Paul Custom was out of his price range so he opted to custom order for the les expensive Standard but with a black finish. The guitar was ordered through Sam Ash in Hempstead New York and has stayed in the original family until now."
It remains to be seen if Hammett will showcase his special new guitar in concert. But fans can catch Kirk and Metallica live this year with dates already booked into 2024 as well. Get your tickets to see Metallica here.
