“It was under a staircase for 50 years. The owner’s family thought it could be worth £5,000. They were told, ’It’s worth more than that…’” The curious tale of Joe Bonamassa’s ‘Royal Albert’ Les Paul – and its mysterious mod

Joe Bonamassa with his Royal Albert Les Paul.

Joe Bonamassa is certainly no stranger to vintage electric guitars, nor is he immune to acquiring highly elusive, long-forgotten instruments that would maybe have otherwise slipped into obscurity in some rather bizarre circumstances.

For example, his high-profile purchase of a neglected 1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard that had been gathering dust in the back of a closet made headlines back in 2022.