A guitar owned by Keith Richards that he once shot in frustration has gone up for auction.
The legendary Rolling Stones guitarist reportedly blew a hole in the Gibson 1952 SJ Southern Jumbo Sunburst Acoustic Guitar after an argument with Ronnie Wood in 1995.
According to the memoirs of Ronnie’s ex-wife Jo Wood, the argument occurred when the Stones were relaxing in a Memphis hotel room after a show.
Richards is said to have been so incensed after walking in the room to find Wood jamming on the guitar that he decided to shoot a hole in it.
An official listing statement claims: “Richards asked where Wood got the guitar from, and Wood said he borrowed it from Mick Jagger.
“Richards was so mad that they took his guitar that he grabbed it, sandwiched it between two pillows, took out a gun and shot it. The guitar not only still has the hole, but also has remnants from one of the foam pillows used to silence it.”
Despite the hole, New Jersey auction house Gotta Have Rock and Roll has received an opening bid of $150,000 for the unique piece of rock history and estimates that the guitar will bring in $250,000.
The listing adds: “Richards owned and frequently played this acoustic guitar on stage during the Rolling Stones’ 1995 Totally Stripped tour.
“He used this guitar during every single live performance of ‘Shine a Light’ during the tour, and his use and love for the guitar are heavily documented in the Stones’ Totally Stripped documentary.”
In other news, the Stones showed support for drummer Charlie Watts earlier this month after he pulled out of their upcoming US tour to “rest and recuperate” following a medical procedure.