A 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard, s/n 9 0319, in faded sunburst finish, owned 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. Affectionately known as “The American Woman Guitar,” it is indeed the very same instrument on which Randy wrote and recorded The Guess Who’s most famous hit song.

Randy first acquired this guitar in 1968 during a gig in a church basement in Nanaimo, British Columbia. As the story goes, Randy was using a Mosrite with a cracked neck during the set when an audience member approached the stage with a familiar brown guitar case.

“If you’re a guitar player, you know what that little brown case means,” Randy teases. “It means a Les Paul.”

The concertgoer gestures at his case, offering Randy the chance to take it for a spin. Randy accepts mid-song, slings the guitar around his shoulder, and proceeds to play the rest of the show with the Gibson.

After the set, a trade was proposed: the Les Paul, which formerly belonged to his uncle, for Randy’s Mosrite. This was not a fair trade in Randy’s eyes, so to make up the difference he added in all the cash in his pocket, which amounted to $72.

With the trade accepted, Randy promptly had the guitar fitted with a Bigsby Vibrato, and from then on it became the sound of The Guess Who. It was also the guitar Randy played at a fateful performance at a Canadian Curling Rink, where he stumbled upon the iconic riff after breaking a string during a gig at a Curling Rink in Southern Ontario.

While the band took a break, he re-strung the guitar and tuned to a nearby piano, checking note after note in succession until it all coalesced into the classic chord progression we all know to this day.

The air in the room that night was electrified, and Randy remembers the “A-ha” moment vividly.

“I start to play that, and the audience’s heads snap around.” He frantically recalled the band, barked at Burt to “sing anything,” and the band wrote the song right there on a plywood stage hastily thrown down on top of the ice in front of a bundled-up crowd.

And thus, “American Woman” was born. Not only was this Les Paul present at the moment of inspiration, it’s also the very instrument you hear on the 1970 release of “American Woman.” It’s instantly recognizable for its biting rhythm tones and violin-like sustain during the fuzzed-out lead portions of the track.

#9 0319 is a guitar that has had a profound impact on rock music history.

It presents with nicks, scratches, modifications, and repairs. A sunburst flame maple top and a cherry finish on its mahogany body and neck. The neck has a bound Brazilian Rosewood fretboard with celluloid nitrate inlays, 22 non-original frets, and a nylon nut.

The headstock has been broken and expertly repaired at least once, and there are filled holes in front of both E tuners that run through the headstock which can be seen from both the front and back in direct light. The Les Paul Model silk screen appears to have been re-done and is in a higher position than is normally found on Les Pauls of the era, and the serial number appears to have been re-inked.

The body’s center-seam flame maple top has a filled-in rout between the pickups, likely concealing an added rout for a third pickup. The new routs are oversized and the neck position pickup has been re-located farther away from the neck to cover the work. The top has been refinished in a faded cherry sunburst while the back has been oversprayed in a dark cherry, also found on the back of the neck. The pickguard has also been moved slightly toward the bridge, with a broken-off screw left in the original hole with a new hole added beside it.

The tuners have been changed to modern bolt-bushing double-line Gibson Deluxe tuners. The bridge is an Japanese model by Aria with large-diameter body inserts. A 1960s Bigsby vibrato has been added and the original stop tailpiece stud holes were filled in, presumably done at the same time.

The pickguard, which may be an original Gibson part, has been modified to fit humbuckers, while the pickup surrounds appear to be original. The knobs appear to be era-appropriate original Gibson parts. The output jack plate has been replaced with a chrome Rickenbacker plate bearing the serial number 2789 with an FH date code above, indicating August of 1966.

The potentiometers appear to be original to the guitar with the bridge tone dating to the 44th week of 1958. The wiring itself has been modified with a slightly altered scheme and modern reproduction braided Gibson-style wire. The neck pickup has a “Patent Applied For” decal whereas the bridge is missing its decal almost entirely; both could possibly be original to the guitar, but their wires have been clipped close to the pickup and spliced on to reproduction braided shield wire. The covers have been off and re-installed. There is solder added to the pickup baseplate legs, with threaded nuts soldered on for height adjustment.

Includes a non-original brown hardshell case with pink interior.

PROVENANCE From The Collection of Randy Bachman

Guitars & Instruments, Randy Bachman