Rare 1959 Les Pauls from Scorpions and Van Halen on display in Cremona

Two rare 1959 Gibson Les Paul guitars, once played by Scorpions and Eddie Van Halen, are on display at Cremona Musica Expo and Festival in Italy as part of Viktor Nemeth's "Budapest Collection." The first guitar, valued at around half a million euros, features a factory Bigsby bridge and was played by Scorpions' Matthias Jabs. The second, serial number 9-0600, has black PAF pickups and flamed maple, and was used in Van Halen's studios in the 1980s. Nemeth, who received the Cremona Musica Award for his collection of over 250 guitars and 50 vintage amplifiers, said both instruments are regularly played by him and Hungarian pop star Vastag Csaba. The 2026 festival features 450 exhibitors from 35 countries.