That "Holy Grail" Les Paul is "just a broken-down guitar," says Paul's son

[Permalink]

1 Like

That could be a crafty way to keep the bidding low. :wink:

3 Likes

Exactly! The truth will come out if he ends up buying the thing himself.

1 Like

Toadstool off the turnip truck.

8 Likes

But how’s it sound? A Le Paul without that sweet sweet Stratocaster sound is just another guitar.

6 Likes

Uh, sweet stratocaster sound? I think you’re thinking of Fenders.

2 Likes

I’m assuming irony and going with a like!

4 Likes

You fool, it’s a collector’s item! You can’t use it for its intended purpose, like some kind of poor person!

13 Likes

It basically sounds like Les Paul treated his repairman like crap for decades, gave him a broken POS guitar as “payment,” and now everyone is angry that he’s trying to make himself some money so he can retire at the age of 72.

9 Likes

It sucks that Les Paul was a fuckin’ cheapskate, and it sucks that America makes it so hard for working folks like Doyle to retire, but that doesn’t mean that people should keep quiet about Stavron’s deceitful hype. Two wrongs don’t make a right. I do hope that, at the end of the day, Doyle is able to get the retirement he deserves.

3 Likes

I don’t know, looks like at least one of the collectors who might actually buy the thing is very aware of the providence. I’m guessing all the noise won’t make much difference to the auction price. It seems like what people are really up in arms about is the article in Guitar Player, because the distorted, hyped view is entering the annals of history.

So I guess you could say… (drum roll please)

Actually, it’s about ethics in guitar journalism.

16 Likes

Bwaaahahahahahah…

“Hell, I hope the richest, dumbest fucking lawyer in the United States pays a fortune for it.” – Steve Miller

Sounds like it’s in the right hands already :slight_smile:

1 Like

Sure, but people are criticizing Doyle for associating with the guy helping him sell it, they’ve described the guitar as a “gift,” and they’ve asked him to tone down his website. Seriously, why do they care how the guitar is being sold? Because they’re worried that the multi-millionaire who might buy it is so naive that he wont have done his due diligence? Because they’re worried about the truth (such as how Les Paul seems to have screwed over the guys who worked with him)? It seems more like they’re concerned with promoting Les Paul and against those he worked with from promoting themselves.

3 Likes

Or a typical short-sell operation.

1 Like

I hope nobody took it out of its blister pack :-0

2 Likes

Gratefully I don’t know any of the people on that clip save for what I just read but the guy who walked off qualifies for the Christ what an asshole award of the month in my book. I really have no use for a jerk who instantly cries lawsuit when he doesn’t hear what he want to hear. Sounds like Doyle himself is a decent man but the guy pushing that guitar is a piece of work.

Same thing but with a ?

At a great price to boot!

He ain’t no toadstool.

1 Like

Of course, it is an entertainment show and nothing in that clip should be valued as reality.

I get a sense that Stavron can be a complete asshole, but what we saw in the clip was just trrrible acting.

Plainly a smear campaign designed by Michael Braunstien and his band of thieves. The author was hired and set to task with one mission in mind - to defame and libel Tom Doyle and his business partner. The article is chock full of lies… too many to count! Why doesn’t the author tell the readers how the “Les Paul Foundation” got its start? How Braunstien and his cronies hoodwinked Les Paul in his later years of life, and convinced him to sign a bunch of documents surrendering all of his money, and assets to this fraudulent little operation. They absconded with over $300 million of Les Paul’s money, put his son Russ out on the street (Russ was living out of his van and staying in day hotels). Then this bogus “foundation” barred Les’ close friends & actual close entourage from Les’ house the minute Les passed away. Where did all the money go? Why not tell about the 3 roll off construction dumpsters that Drew Berlin & Dave Belzer (aka “the burst brothers) threw away of all Les’ experiments & important bench research. Why not report on how Julien’s hired these two idiots to curate the estate (instead of people like Tom Doyle who knew & worked closely with Les for over 45 years) and how they screwed the whole thing up and misidentified so many of Les’ important pieces. They sold the Nocaster & advertised that it was signed by Leo Fender… uh no, it was signed by Mr. Les Paul! This phony “foundation” couldn’t even recognize Les Paul’s own signature? And who reading this has been to Les’ home in Mahwah, NJ? Only to find it literally in shambles - overgrown weeds everywhere, holes in the roof, windows all broken, and the whole place in total disrepair. Why not tell that story? This “foundation” had been gunning for Tom Doyle from the minute they took over Les’ estate. Tom went to Max and asked him for help with these “Johnny-come-lately” lawyers and accountants that had taken over all of Les’ holdings and were now throwing their weight around. This article is blatantly false!

2 Likes