“It’s called Roman because of the Roman numerals I etched into the back”: James Hetfield owns five ’59 Gibson Les Paul Standard ’Bursts – and he’s carved a massive ‘12’ into one of them

James Hetfield with 1958 Gibson Les Paul Burst and Roman, his 1959 Les Paul Standard.

There are players who curate and coddle their electric guitars – and then there are players who make them their own. James Hetfield’s new guitar book Messengers showcases perhaps the ultimate example of the latter: a 1959 Gibson Les Paul ’Burst that has been inscribed by the Metallica frontman.

In the book, Hetfield reveals he owns five ’Bursts and showcases four of his Golden Era Gibson guitars, all of which rank among the rarest and most valuable models in the firm’s history: a ’58 Korina Flying V, a ’58 Korina Explorer and two 1959 Les Paul Standards, dubbed ‘Rick King’ and ‘Roman’.