Les Paul's 'Black Beauty' up for auction

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Guitar lovers will take note as one of Les Paul's most prized possessions goes on the auction block Thursday.

Known as the Black Beauty, the 1954 Les Paul Custom was designed for Paul by Gibson guitars, then headquartered in Kalamazoo, Mich.

The guitar has been in the collection of Paul collaborator and friend, guitar technician Tom Doyle, who was given the instrument by Les Paul during the 1970s.

Paul has been called the father of the electric guitar and the guitars that bear his name are among the most popular for players both young and old. Paul died in 2009 at the age of 94.

The first Les Paul model was released in 1952, although the Black Beauty served as a working model for Paul's many technical innovations. Its revisions are seen as the basis for many of the brand's modern variations. The auction will be held at Guernsey's in Manhattan.