The Metropolitan Museum of Art has officially responded to claims made by former Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor, who alleged that a guitar from its collection had been stolen from him.

Taylor’s manager, Marlies Damming, said that Taylor recognized the vintage Les Paul guitar as his own and believed it had gone missing years ago. “There are numerous photos of Mick Taylor playing this Les Paul, as it was his main guitar until it disappeared,” she stated. “What’s interesting is that vintage Les Pauls from the late 1950s have unique flame patterns—like a fingerprint.”

However, the museum has denied the allegation. In a statement published by the New York Times on August 1, the Met clarified, “This guitar has a long and well-documented history of ownership. Mick Taylor may have played the guitar, but he never owned it.”

The guitar is part of a 500-piece collection donated to the museum by collector Dirk Ziff. According to Met director Max Hollein, this gift represents a “trailblazing and transformative” moment, positioning the museum as a key institution for American guitar history.

While none of the guitars from the collection are currently on display, the museum plans to open a permanent gallery in 2027 focused on American guitars. So far, a full checklist of the collection has not been released. The Met’s official announcement mentioned a 1959 Les Paul once played by Keith Richards but made no reference to Mick Taylor.

The situation remains unclear. A source close to Taylor told the media that the guitarist never received any compensation for the missing guitar and is puzzled about how the instrument ended up in the Met’s hands.