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Ernie Ball Global Warming Guitar for Auction

Kitschy guitar nearing $15,000 on eBay in first 24 hours.

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA (January 24, 2008) -- Six months ago we covered one of the most outrageous guitars we''ve ever seen made by a respectable company. Now, after gracing the stage at Live Earth in the hands of Chris Guest -- best known as Nigel Tufnel in This is Spinal Tap -- Ernie Ball has put the guitar up for auction on eBay. The auction will benefit the Casey Lee Ball Foundation, which is the world''s largest private pediatric kidney foundation.

The guitar is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece of kitsch, with features that include a snow globe that is home to Al Gore and a baby seal. In its first 20 hours, the auction has reached almost $15,000, and will run until January 30 at 6 p.m. PST. Despite the high bids, the reserve for the guitar is not yet met.

The guitar features:

  • Laser engraved figured maple top depicting a flaming Earth
  • Real snow globe with Al Gore figurine, “Presidential Seal” and volume-activated lighting
  • Knobs in the shape of an ice cube and an Egyptian pyramid
  • Pickup switches in the shape of the Eiffel Tower, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and the Empire State Building
  • Painted and laser engraved pickups (to maintain continuity of the image on the body)
  • White Corian fingerboard laser engraved with Fahrenheit and Celsius temperature scales
  • Functioning LED “thermometer” running up the center of the fingerboard (when the tone pot is pulled up, the thermometer slowly rises to the first fret; freezing is at the 12th fret)
  • Flamed headstock
  • Fully-detailed guitar backside painted black with sparkling stars complete with a “Blackberry” compartment containing a small faux blackberry fruit.
  • Signature by Nigel Tufnel on backside
    • You can check out our original article for more history on the guitar and check the eBay auction for many more pictures.