Following the news that a selection of Eddie Van Halen-played guitar gear and a Fender Stratocaster smashed to pieces by Prince are to hit the auction block, Gotta Have Rock and Roll – the auction house in charge of the lots – have listed yet another high-value item. This time: a double-cut 1973 Les Paul Deluxe owned by former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley.
The guitar was purchased in 1973 by Frehley himself at New York's Manny's Music, and was a regular single-cut, Tobacco Burst-finished Les Paul Deluxe at the time.
Frehley played it heavily onstage between 1973 and 1976, before taking it Strings & Things in Memphis, Tennessee for a facelift, transforming it into the one-of-a-kind, double-cut LP Frehley dubbed “Blackie”.
Years after the guitar's visual overhaul, Frehley sold the guitar, after which it “switched hands from collector to collector” until it was purchased by one of the guitarist's good friends, whom he later bought it back from.
Little is divulged in terms of the guitar's specs, though it looks to feature a typical LP double humbucker pickup configuration, with two volume and two tone controls. It also features Les Paul-style block inlays, an “Ace” inlay on the headstock and Ace Frehley's signature on the back.
The guitar is set to hit the auction block tomorrow (August 11), and is expected to fetch between $150,000 and $250,000. The winning bidder will also receive a letter of authenticity from Frehley, a letter of provenance, and a certificate of authenticity from Gotta Have Rock and Roll.
For more information, head to Gotta Have Rock and Roll.
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