A stage-played and studio-used Yamaha AES1500 semi-hollow electric guitar (serial #QJH027I, manufactured January 2001) owned and used by George Pajon Jr. — lead guitarist of the Black Eyed Peas and official Yamaha endorsing artist — featuring a custom graphic of Fergie from her “Fergalicious” single campaign permanently applied below the instrument’s lacquer finish. The guitar was used across Pajon’s career with the Black Eyed Peas and during his contributions to Fergie’s debut solo album The Duchess (2006). Originally offered directly by Pajon’s music industry representation, B Major Music. Includes original Yamaha hardshell case.
Historical Context
George Pajon Jr. is a self-taught guitarist, songwriter, and producer who served as lead guitarist of the Black Eyed Peas across the band’s peak commercial period. He won back-to-back Grammy Awards with the band in 2004 and 2005 for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group — for “Let’s Get It Started” and “Don’t Phunk With My Heart” — and contributed directly to Fergie’s debut solo album The Duchess (2006), including her first single “London Bridge,” as confirmed in an August 2006 Yamaha Artist News release. Pajon is a long-standing official Yamaha endorsing artist. In a Yamaha Entertainment Group of America feature, he identified the AES1500 as his most vintage-sounding guitar and confirmed its use on the first Peas album recordings, noting its versatility across miked acoustic, pickup, and piezoelectric configurations. His instrument role within the BEP touring organization is directly confirmed in the “The Beginning” Crew Itinerary Europe 2011 (offered as part of Lot 42 in this auction), which lists him as “Lead Guitar” within the Bucky Jonson touring band.
Stage & Performance Use
The guitar was used by Pajon across his career with the Black Eyed Peas in both live and studio contexts. The original seller description, provided by B Major Music on behalf of Pajon, cites use on recordings including “Pump It” and during the band’s Super Bowl halftime performance. The custom graphic — depicting Fergie in the pose and styling of the “Fergalicious” (2006) promotional imagery and applied below the instrument’s finish as a permanent customization — directly connects the guitar to the The Duchess era and to Pajon’s documented involvement in Fergie’s solo recording campaign.
Yamaha’s documented serial number format for MIJ electric guitars of this era decodes serial #QJH027I to January 2001 — with the sequential digits (027) indicating this was the 27th AES1500 produced that month, confirming an early production example from the model’s prime years of Japanese manufacture. This places the instrument approximately two years into active use by the time the Black Eyed Peas entered their peak commercial period with Elephunk (2003) — consistent with a working guitarist’s primary instrument, already broken in and established in regular rotation.
Specifications
· Manufacturer: Yamaha (Made in Japan), manufactured January 2001
· Model: AES1500
· Type: Semi-hollow arch-top electric guitar
· Body: Yellow gloss finish with custom Fergie “Fergalicious” era graphic applied below the lacquer
· Hardware: Gold-tone throughout — tuners, bridge, control knobs
· Pickups: Two humbuckers
· Fretboard: Rosewood with dot inlays
· Serial number: QJH027I
Condition
Very Good. Some minor surface marks on the back of the body consistent with playing use, and one small mark near the fretboard. Plays and sounds well; action is set. The custom graphic is intact beneath the finish.
Included Items
Original Yamaha hardshell case. Brown exterior with gold-tone hardware and Yamaha-branded latch plate; red/burgundy velvet interior. Fair condition with wear consistent with extended use.
Provenance
Acquired from B Major Music on behalf of George Pajon Jr. B Major Music is a music publishing and artist representation company founded by industry executive Molly Kaye (formerly of Rondor Music Publishing, BMG Music Publishing, DreamWorks Music Publishing, and A&R at Warner Bros., Columbia, and Mercury Records) and represents George Pajon Jr. as a client. The guitar’s attribution to Pajon is further supported by Yamaha’s own published documentation of his AES1500 use and its listing on his official website per the original seller description.
Nostalgia Bandit Letter of Provenance
This lot will be accompanied by a Nostalgia Bandit Letter of Provenance — a document printed on official Nostalgia Bandit letterhead, signed by Nostalgia Bandit’s principal, and affixed with the official Nostalgia Bandit embossed seal. The Letter of Provenance reproduces the complete final auction description for this lot in full, memorializing all provenance documentation, attribution, supporting evidence, and condition details as presented herein. It is designed to travel with the lot through all future ownership transfers as a permanent, platform-independent physical record of the item’s documented history.
Shipping & Measurements
FIRST AND THIRD PARTY SHIPPING OPTIONS AVAILABLE. Contact Nostalgia Bandit for a shipping quote: shipping@nostalgiabandit.com
» Guitar: 44 x 17 x 3.5″ · 4.26 lbs.
» Case: 46 x 19.5 x 5″ · 10.40 lbs.
