Cuppy's Music Curios S2 E13: Steve Jones' Excalibur Sold!

Steve Jones' guitar the arctic white Gibson Les Paul that was originally owned by New York Dolls guitarist Sylvain Sylvain was auctioned off by Julian's Auctions for the price of $390,000. This legendary piece of rock n' roll history was projected to fetch around $100,000 but an unknown bidder won it after 16 bids. The guitar's history is a complicated one as it was given to Malcolm McLaren by Sylvain Sylvain as either a gift, payment or to be held temporarily. Steve Jones received the guitar from Malcolm who nicknamed it "Excalibur" and gave it to him on the condition he learn how to play it due to being uncomfortable as the lead singer but still wanting to be in the band.

Jones learned how to play it after being high on black beauties "according to legend" while listening to The Stooges first album. He kept the guitar and played it while he was in the Sex Pistols, The Professionals and as a solo artist. As a side hustle when he was younger, Jones would sell several arctic white Gibson Les Pauls and claim that they were the ones that was owned by the legendary New York Doll Sylvain Sylvain. Because of this, Julian's had to authentic the guitar before it was auctioned off. The winning bidder has yet to be identified.

Special thanks to Janelle Borg who wrote the article about Steve Jones' guitar being sold for Guitar World which used some of it in the making of this video.