“No one has ever played these instruments live other than Gary”: Gary Rossington’s ‘Free Bird’ Les Paul/SG will be loaned out for a series of A-list gigs – and Blackberry Smoke have already used it for a Lynyrd Skynyrd medley

Gary Rossington and Charlie Starr.

Gary Rossington’s iconic Free Bird 1961 Gibson Les Paul/SG – the electric guitar that helped shape one of the greatest rock songs of all time – has been re-homed at the Chicago Music Exchange Vault, and a host of big-name players will soon play it live.

The Lynyrd Skynyrd classic was released in 1974, and Rossington's 1961 Gibson guitar – which was made in the era when SGs bore the Les Paul name before the switch in 1963 – was crucial in its recording. Though lead guitarist Allen Collins played the solo, this particular guitar has become just as famous for its role in such a defining moment in rock history.