One of the most coveted electric guitars ever made has set a new auction benchmark. An exceptionally preserved 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard Sunburst sold for $781,250 in Heritage Auctions' 15 October Vintage Guitars and Musical Instruments Signature Auction, establishing a world auction record for a vintage guitar without celebrity provenance. The result led a $2.15 million auction comprising 201 lots and drawing 848 international bidders. Bearing serial number 9 0640, the Les Paul retains its original Sunburst finish with virtually no finish checking, its original double-black PAF humbucking pickups with both decals and undisturbed covers, untouched solder joints and rare original tuning machines, accompanied by original hang tags, strap and Lifton-style hardshell case. Formerly part of the celebrated collection of Ichiro Kato, one of Japan's most respected vintage Gibson collectors, its serial is recorded in the Burst Serial Registry. The result surpassed the previous benchmark of $611,000, paid for a 1958/63 Gibson Explorer at Skinner on 15 October 2006, by $170,250, or about 28 percent. Sharing the spotlight was Lonnie Mack's 1958 Gibson Flying V Number 7, which sold with his 1962 Magnatone Custom 440 amplifier for $550,000. Mack's primary guitar through decades of recordings, performances and international tours, Number 7 helped voice his pioneering blend of blues, rock, country and soul, with instrumental hits Memphis and Wham! influencing generations of guitarists. Other notable results included a custom Telecaster-style guitar with original artwork by Paul Karslake at $56,250, Keith Richards' signed 1979 Fender Stratocaster at $50,000, the prototype Gibson Crossroads ES-335 signed by all three members of Cream at $45,000, the 1952 Fender Blackguard Telecaster known as the Halloween Tele at $42,500, and a 1954 Gibson Les Paul Conversion Goldtop at $23,750.