Lennon, a worldwide musical and cultural icon, owned many equally well known guitars in his time including his Gibson J-160E and his Epiphone Casino. Like many great musicians, the guitars Lennon chose to play often seemed to reflect his ideas, beliefs, and lifestyle. In particular, the image of Lennon playing his modified 1950s Les Paul Junior at his famous live performance at New York's Madison Square Garden on August 30, 1972 is an unforgettable one - one that guitar luthier Ron DeMarino helped to shape through the assistance he provided to Lennon in modifying the well-known guitar in the early 1970s.

The Gibson Custom Shop has worked with Yoko Ono in the recreation of this famous modified Les Paul Junior guitar. As Lennon's widow, she approved a complete hands-on review of the original for the design team to use as a thorough reference point for their newly designed Inspired By guitar. The Custom Shop's Inspired By Les Paul guitar is aged to look just like Lennon's original Les Paul Junior once it was sanded down to the solid mahogany body and includes the famous Charlie Christian pickup installed in the neck position as well as aged chrome hardware. Each of the 300 limited-edition guitars will be accompanied by a Custom Shop guitar case and a certificate of authenticity in a special army green cloth folder with John's autograph embroidered on the cover. In addition, the Lennon fans who purchase this guitar will receive an article that includes an interview with DeMarino by Andy Babiuk, author of "The Beatles Gear", as well as a signed Lennon print by famed artist Allison Lefcort, and Lennon's famous "New York City" T-shirt.