In February 2016, a rumour spread through parts of the internet which excited Led Zeppelin fans and Gibson guitar collectors: Jimmy Page had been reunited with his legendary “Black Beauty” guitar which was stolen in 1970.
The 1960 Gibson Les Paul was Page’s main session guitar from 1962 to 1967 and was also used during the early years of Led Zeppelin. The guitar was stolen at Minneapolis–Saint Paul airport in April 1970, though, when Page took it with him to the US on tour.
For 45 years, the guitar and Page were separated.
However, Page has confirmed that he was reunited with the stolen guitar on November 12, 2015 and his “Black Beauty” guitar is now on display in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s “Play It Loud: Instruments of Rock & Roll” exhibition which will open on April 8.
The exhibition hasn’t opened yet, but here are photographs of the “Black Beauty” guitar taken by Jonathan Bayer:
The Gothamist has also uploaded a high resolution photograph of the guitar, which you can view here.
I’m not convinced.
hopefully one day,all JP fans around the world will see him playing this guitar again on tour….for me,the celebration day version of ‘for your life’ was the real highlight of the evening and that was on the replica custom version of the black beauty guitar….. put a touring band together and lets see JIMMY PAGE on stage again with that huge ‘guitar-sound’ again
I have my doubts. Watch the Albert Hall video of Jimmy playing the Eddie Cochran song Something Else. The Black Beauty he is playing has no covers on the Bridge or Neck pickups. I find it hard to believe someone put them back on
This guitar is the real deal. I was there when it was discovered in August 2015. Here is the story of how it went down… https://www.startribune.com/how-led-zeppelin-s-jimmy-page-lost-his-prized-guitar-in-minneapolis-and-got-it-back-45-years-later/571659372/