A 1969 Gibson Les Paul Custom, serial #RB002 (original obscured), ebony finish. Owned and played onstage and in-studio by Randy Bachman, who has sold 40 million records worldwide as a member of The Guess Who, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, and as a solo artist. Played on B.T.O.’s Four Wheel Drive and subsequent albums.

Randy remembers stumbling upon this guitar by chance during Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s 1975 tour, where he stopped by a music store in West Chester, PA. B.T.O. were set to headline at the Spectrum in Philadelphia with Kansas on July 17th, and according to Randy, much of his free time was spent trawling shops for guitar deals.

“I walk in and see two black Les Pauls on the wall, and they catch my eye right away. One had humbuckers and one had P-90s. So I say to the guy, ‘Can I try those guitars?’ And he says, ‘No.’

‘Are they for sale?’ ‘No. They belong to Keith Richards.’

After some prodding, it turned out that one of The Rolling Stones' roadies had brought both guitars to the shop for a re-fret two years prior, but no-one ever picked them up. With a little more prodding, he convinced the guy behind the counter to contact Keith’s management, who tell him that the roadie’s been fired, Keith has enough guitars, and to just let them go.

Delighted, Randy offered $750 for the pair, and when he got home from tour there they were, both guitars waiting for him. He then sold the P-90 model to Blair Thornton who can be seen using it in concert photos, with Randy holding onto the humbucker-equipped guitar.

The Bachman-Richards Gibson Les Paul Custom wears an ebony finish, a mahogany neck with multi-ply binding on the headstock with mother of pearl Gibson logo (no dot on the “I”) and split diamond inlays. Nut is black, non-original. Bound ebony fretboard with mother of pearl block position marker inlays. An ebony-finished mahogany body with a maple top, multi-ply binding on the front and back, gold hardware and black plastics.

Frets have been replaced, non-original chrome Schaller tuners, non-original Nashville Tune-O-Matic bridge with Graph-Tech saddles, non-original Bigsby vibrato, changed black reflector knobs with silver inserts. Original potentiometers date to 50th week of 1968. Pickups do not appear to be original to the guitar. The back of the headstock has been sanded and re-sprayed, with what’s left of the original serial number obscured by “RB002”

Includes non-original hardshell case with black exterior and wine red interior.

PROVENANCE From The Collection of Randy Bachman

Guitars & Instruments, Randy Bachman