You can now bid on the special white Gibson SG of Les Paul’s ex-wife, as shown on a recent episode of the Pawn Stars reality TV show.
Update: The winning bid was $110,000 which was $20,000 more than the pawn shop paid for it on the show.
Here is a chance for
When Mary Ford and Les Paul were still together, they were a big hit in both radio and TV. It is said that back in 1951, Ford and Paul already earned $500,000, and has topped big name artists like Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby in terms of top ten hits. They also sold more than 6 million disks since January of 1951. So it will not be a wonder that a
Another great thing about this
Aside from the
The
The current bid for Mary Ford’s Gibson SG Les Paul Custom is at $100,000 and the “buy it now” price is set to $250,000. Bid ends on February 3, 2012. Check the auction here.
Update: The winning bid was $110,000 which was $20,000 more than the pawn shop paid for it on the show.
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I have been looking to find out how much my Inherited Guitar was worth from my Uncle who grew up in LA in the 60’s. So far this is almost Identical.
There has been some discussion here about the sex life of Les Paul and how Mary Paul was the traditional long-suffering wife. I remember back when they were divorced, and the official story at the time was that it was Mary who was cheating on Les with a cowboy singing star. History is largely a matter of which liar you choose to believe.
Will post on e-bay shortly. Look for a original 1961 Gibson Les Paul SG Special. Vintage and great condition for a good price for a collector.
In reference to the picture that akelpin posted of Les Paul with an SG guitar, while it’s probably the same model, how can you be certain it’s the same guitar? It looks like it has a neck and bridge pickup, but is missing the middle pickup that “Mary Ford’s guitar” which was being sold has.
Not trying to cause disputes or anything, just curious on your thoughts.
reading through this thread I’m quite surprised to see how many people are caught up in the name Les Paul. Did he play it did he work on it? possibly who knows? I think that would matter to someone who exclusively collects Les Paul memorabilia. what we have here is an original 1961Les Paul custom. in its own right is quite valuable. The fact that belong to a recording artist who had not one but a few billboard hits makes this guitar an important piece of music memorabilia. It still has remnants of her setlist taped to the back. if I was rich and had $110,000 I would definitely bid on it too.
I was surprised to see buckle rash on the back of the guitar. It would seem like a man who likes a low slung guitar played it, alot.
That’s not buckle rash. That’s what’s left of the set list she always taped to the back of her guitar per the Pawn Star’s episode.
I watch PAWN Stars a lot, I can not say I’ve seen every episode. Your one PAWN Shop I would visit next time I’m in Vegas. I’d like to meet you all and maybe see a guitar I like, that is in my price range lol I have 15 guitar at this time 4 are Gibson Les Paul’s one of them is a custom. Oh and have a 1978 Gibson SG 61 reissue and that is all of the Gibson’s I own at this time.
I saw the episode when you bought Mary Fors’s 61 Gibson SG Les Paul custom. I think you got a deal and even at 10 thousnd more it’s still a good deal.
Thank you for taking the time to read this
Roger or Mad Moses
and yes, Moses is my real last name
Look, I really don’t care that you have to lie to feel special. Mentioning your little “friend” is just you patting yourself on the back because know one else will and it really has nothing to do with the guitar. I think she was a little more than a roady for a guy like that to marry her. Why the hell would any womanizer marry a roady when he knows that a wave of fresh women will be ready to compete to take her place at the next show? Man you’re really sensetive about being criticized on this subject. You’re either a woman or a guy who doesn’t get laid enough to be that bitchy and envious about a tv shows success or about people spending that much cash on a guitar. Do you want me to call the pawn shop and have them get your opinion on the guitar? Because I happen to know Rick and the old man.
I hope who ever buys this guitar realizes that the guitar IS NOT Les Paul’s but Mary Fords (suposedly). There is no proof that Les Paul ever looked at, never mind played, this guitar. The paperwork that was suplied with the guitar is a common GAC contract (used by many artist of the time) that was signed by Les. This contract in no ways gives proof to any association between Les and the guitar other than a contract that Mary Ford had for her husband. The other paperwork given has similar problems. This guitar really should be advertised as Mary Ford’s proper, eventhough Pawn Stars would like you to believe that Les Paul did repairs to it which there is no proof to. If there is no association with Les Paul and the guitar, it is worth far less ( even though owned by a fine guitarist in her own rite) than the $250,000 their hoping to get for it.
P.S.-Even the pictures seem to be from the 50’s (the guitar is a 61).
Just saw the tv show in which the guitar was bought at the pawn shop. in the episode, you see a photo of Les playing the white guitar. I’m sure the episode is online somewhere. Look for the image, its on for a second and a half
you sir…are what we (in the guitar repair/restoration business) call….a Les Paul Snob….please check your facts before you propagate inaccuracies that you purport to be fact.
You need to remember that Mary was a pretty stellar guitarist in her own right. Les and Mary Ford was an actual duo. Les would say the same, and then punch you in the nose. I’m not saying you’re sexist; you get to tell yourself that, and then examine your proclivities.
The guitar is listed as Mary Fords guitar not Les Pauls. They aren’t claiming Les worked on the guitar just speculating which is reasonable in this case. They toured together and Mary essentially claimed his aggressive pace was one problem that led to their divorce. As controlling as this guy sounds, to say Les never handled or repaired this guitar, despite his dislike for it, is like saying he didn’t have sex with his wife.
You definately know nothing of the real history between the couple because by 1961 Les and Mary were becoming more and more distant. I never knew either of them but I did know a very famous guitarist, who work for RCA and made a record with Les, who, after I asked about them, told me that Mary knew Les had a well deserved reputation of bedding female admires after his apperances (infact that’s how he ended up divorcing his first wife and marrying Mary). So by 1961, Yes, Mary and Les were not having sex meathead!
Ok, who is your famous guitarist friend that you didn’t feel was important enough to mention by name yet? You obviously know nothing about women or relationships. It may take years of problems to wear down a marriage to the point of divorce but you only have to be caught cheating once to either end a marriage or take action to repair it. Its hard to believe that Mary would have allowed Les to be an adulterer that long and then all of a sudden after at least one solid year of cheating she finally got the balls to divorce him in December of 62. No, if that was the case then she was weak and he was controlling and it’s a certainty that he would have not trusted anyone enough to handle repairs he could do himself, especially if they were on the road. That includes not trusting her. If they tried to fix the marriage in that last year they had sex at least once, which more than likely was preceded by simple gestures of kindness and intimacy. That would include offering to tune or fix her guitar even if she were capable of doing it herself. Without real evidence neither of us can prove or disprove our opinions here, nor could the pawn shop do the same. So the fact that you’re an idiot and the possibility that Les may have handled or worked on that guitar is still reasonable.
Let me start off by saying that I will not mention the guitarist name because pin-heads like you will be filling up my mailbox for information which I would never give out about him. I’m only going to mention one thing over again that it might sink into that thick head of yours; Mary was originally a “roady” (they didn’t use that word back then) who was facinated with Les use of electric pick ups on guitars. Les Divorced his first wife and married Mary later the same year. Do you get it? Mary was a layed back person and yes, Les was a country boy who was rough around the edges. But I’ve said enough already.
Jeez what an arrogant ill-informed trouble-maker YOU are. Mary Ford might have been a ‘groupie’ but certainly not a ‘roadie’. That fact that you don’t know the difference is laughable. Second…nobody needs ‘proof’ that Les had a connection to this guitar. OF course he did, because it’s an early 60’s Guitar and Les and Mary didn’t divorce until the mid 60’s. Gibson made a habit of sending Les free examples of their ‘new’ models. This white one just happened to be one that Mary ended up with. And who the HECK are you to expound upon Les and Mary’s sex life? And you call other people idiots??
I don’t need some famous guitarist to motivate me to blow up your mailbox.
You do make some good points, but I think anyone who’s bidding over $100k aught to be wary enough to understand the limitations on some of the claims made on eBay like, “It Is Very Possible That Les Paul Handled/Made Repairs To This Guitar Himself”.
You wouldn’t by any chance be a bidder trying to keep the price down? 🙂
You right in one regard; If I has a 100G’s to spend on a guitar I wouldn’t mind owning owning this one! Like I said in my previous post, Mary Ford was a hell of a guitar player and could play lick for lick with Les Paul. But Les is the man who, through his inventivness, brought the Les Paul guitar to Gibson creating a mirad of great rock’ n’ Roll guitarist in his wake. All I was saying is that the guitar is Mary’s and shouldn’t be purchased as such. I’d value it between $80,000-$120,000.
A Gibson SG with the Gibson Les Paul branding? This must be really rare, I thought Les Paul absolutely hated the Gibson SG style body and refused to have his name on it.
It’s true he didn’t like the double cutaway redesign being called a Les Paul – which is why Gibson re-branded them as ‘SG’ (Solid Guitar) in 1961, but you could still buy some new stock up to 1963 with ‘Les Paul’ on them.
better look alittle closer