Items include guitars from George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Vinnie Vincent.
New York, NY (March 13, 2015) -- Julien’s Auctions, the world’s premier entertainment and music memorabilia auction house has announced their highly anticipated Music Icons Auction event to be held at Hard Rock Café New York on Saturday, May 16, 2015 beginning at 10:00 a.m. One of the most extraordinary collections of rock n’ roll royalty will be offered at the exclusive auction event including memorabilia from The Beatles, rare guitars from the world’s most iconic musicians, musical stars of an era gone by and ladies who continue to sell out arenas in record time.
The George Harrison played 1963 Mastersound Electric Guitar (Estimate: $400,000-$600,000) is one of the finest highlights to be mentioned. The guitar was used by Harrison in the summer of 1963 when he had it on loan from Barratt’s Music Store. According to Andy Babiuk, Harrison's Country Gent was experiencing problems and was brought to Barratt's in Manchester to be repaired. The Maton was given to Neil Aspinall for Harrison to use while repairs were made. The Country Gent was returned the same day, but Harrison retained the Maton and played it in concert at Margate (July 8 to 13), in Liverpool (August 2), at a photocall at the Cavern (August 3) and when the Beatles played Guernsey, Channel Island (August 6-10). The Australian solid-body guitar has a flame maple natural finish top, dark sides, a sunburst back, mahogany neck with a bound rosewood fingerboard and dot inlays, two pickups, a three-way pickup selector switch, two volume knobs and two-tone knobs with an input jack mounted on a black pickguard, fitted with a Bigsby Vibrato and Bigsby bridge.
The guitar is accompanied by letters of authenticity from Roy Barber's former bandmates: Dave Berry, J. Fleet, and Eric Haydock. It is also featured in "Beatles Gear: All the Fab Four's Instruments, From Stage to Studio" (Revised Edition) by Andy Babiuk (San Francisco: Backbeat, 2002) and has been exhibited at The National Center for Popular Music, Sheffield, England, 2000 and The Beatles Story, Liverpool, England, 2014-2015.
Rarely is there a chance for collectors to own a guitar played and owned by the legendary Eric Clapton, one of the world’s most revered guitarists. A vintage owned Eric Clapton Gibson SG Les Paul Standard Electric Guitar, circa 1962 (Estimate: $30,000-$40,000) purchased by Clapton will also be offered at Music Icons. Originally purchased by Clapton to recreate the same experience as the psychedelic guitar he used in Cream, he found that he could not switch back into using it, having grown accustomed to Fender guitars. It was the tremolo (vibrato) that Clapton ultimately ended up not liking about the guitar although the guitar design was what immediately got his attention. The guitar features a Heritage cherry finish, double cutaway, trapezoid inlays, two humbucking pickups and is accompanied by a black hardshell case.
Virtuoso guitarist Vinnie Vincent brought KISS back to musical life in the Eighties then disappeared into a haze of hair-metal allegations. The controversial and often misunderstood rock star, Vincent was the original replacement for KISS founding member Ace Frehley and garnered the reputation as one of the band’s most influential members.
His guitar shredding from 1982 to 1984 is said to be among the reasons KISS was revived during this time. Three prominent guitars attributed to Vincent will be offered in the auction. These include a Vinnie Vincent model electric guitar manufactured and gifted to Vincent by Pear Guitars, 1990. This custom guitar model is also known as The Double V and Vincent initially worked with Jackson guitars to produce the Double V. The shape itself, a pair of layered V's, invoke the guitar's namesake as do the V-shaped inlays, (Estimate: $10,000-$20,000). Also offered at auction is a Vinnie Vincent stage used Jackson Randy Rhoads electric guitar in white finish with dot inlays and shark fin shape which Vincent used early in KISS’s “Creatures of the Night” tour in 1982. The guitar has the original strings used on the tour and a hard case (Estimate: $10,000-$20,000) and Vinnie Vincent’s doubleneck Carvin DN612 Electric Guitar with pearl silver finish which Vincent played at the end of the “That Time of Year” video (Estimate: $10,000-$20,000).
John Lennon’s bath robeCrossing every segment of what has made for iconic musical artists, Julien’s Auctions’ Music Icons Auction event will not disappoint. Other highlights of the very special auction include John Lennon’s Bath Robe (Estimate: $9,000-$10,000), Jimi Hendrix’s ring presented in a carved wooden box (Estimate: $8,000-$10,000), Frank Sinatra’s 1970s-1990s address book (Estimate: $7,000-$9,000), a variety of iconic items from Lady Gaga including a Lady Gaga Stage Worn Latex Body Suit (Estimate: $6,000-$8,000), a Lady Gaga stage worn face mask (Estimate: $2,000-$4,000) and a Lady Gaga worn leather corset (Estimate: $2,000-$4,000).
Other highlights will include an original oil on burlap painting by Frank Zappa (Estimate: $2,000-$4,000), a Nat King Cole worn Sy Devore suit marked 1961 (Estimate: $2,000-$4,000), AC/DC worn shorts (Estimate: $2,000-$4,000) and a rare Michael Jackson red face mask (Estimate: $1,000-$2,000). Over 600 historical pieces of music memorabilia will be offered by Julien’s Auctions at the spring Music Icons auction at The Hard Rock New York located in Times Square. All lots can be viewed at www.juliensauctions.com and catalogs may be purchased online.
Fans and collectors will have the opportunity to view many of the highlights to be presented in the auction during a one-week, limited engagement exhibit to be held at The Hard Rock New York beginning Tuesday May 12, 2015 and ending Saturday, May 16, 2015. The exhibit will be open from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. daily.
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