Three of Jason Becker’s iconic guitars fetch $230,000 at online auction
The sale raised funds for the ALS-stricken musician’s medical expenses.
Images: Guernsey’s
Three of Jason Becker’s iconic electric guitars have sold at an online auction, raising a total of $230,000 for the ALS-stricken musician’s medical expenses.
The guitars sold include Becker’s Peavey “Numbers” prototype electric, played by Eddie Van Halen, as well as his Moridira Blue Hurricane and White Hurricane guitars, which graced the covers of Perpetual Burn and Cacophony’s Speed Metal Symphony.
All three sold through Guernsey’s Auctions on Saturday (17 July). The Peavey guitar fetched $65,000, while the Blue Hurricane and White Hurricane sold for $80,000 and $85,000 respectively.
DragonForce’s Herman Li, who hosted a fundraising campaign for Becker earlier this year, attended the auction virtually. He was joined on Zoom by a surprise guest: guitarist Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal.
“Back in February, friends of Jason Becker came to me to ask me to play these guitars and help raise money,” Li recalled during the stream. “We [launched] a five-month campaign to promote Jason Becker, these guitars and the achievements of Jason.”
He added: “Jason’s story is what really sells these guitars.”
Guitar heroes the likes of Andy Timmons and Steve Vai supported Becker by donating autographed guitars listed on the official Jason Becker Reverb store.
Becker has been living with ALS since he was 20 years old, and today, continues to write music despite his near-total paralysis. In 2016, he released Triumphant Hearts, an album which features an ensemble of guitar stars such as Marty Friedman and Joe Satriani.