EVH and Prince guitars, handwritten Bob Dylan lyrics and Kurt Cobain self-portrait going up for auction
A number of impressive pieces of rock history and memorabilia are going up for auction next month as part of Julien’s Auctions’ Legends Of Music sale, including guitars owned and played by Eddie Van Halen and Prince, Bob Dylan’s original handwritten lyrics, and a self-portrait drawn by Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. READ MORE: One of […]
All images: Julien’s Auctions
A number of impressive pieces of rock history and memorabilia are going up for auction next month as part of Julien’s Auctions’ Legends Of Music sale, including guitars owned and played by Eddie Van Halen and Prince, Bob Dylan’s original handwritten lyrics, and a self-portrait drawn by Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain.
The items are open for bidding now, with the auction officially taking place on 11, 12 and 13 June.
Eddie Van Halen’s Charvels
Five Charvel guitars are part of the auction. Each one was hand-striped and played on stage by Eddie Van Halen, and comes with a hardcase and a certificate of authenticity signed by Eddie himself. Each lot includes a photograph of Eddie playing the guitar in question on stage, with the certificate of authenticity noting the date the guitar was used.
Every Eddie Van Halen stage-played guitar has a starting bid of $7,000, and an estimated final bid of between $30,000 and $50,000. Find out more here.
Prince Cloud Guitar
This Cloud Guitar was commissioned to luthier Andy Beech by Prince in 1994. The guitar comes with a hardcase and a laminated tag that reads: “PRN Productions / 7801 Audubon Road / Chanhassen, MN 55317” on one side, and “117” on the other.
The pickup cavity is also signed by Prince’s former guitar tech, Zeke Clark, with the phrase: “Zeke for [love symbol] Prince.”
The guitar has a current bid of $22,000, from a starting bid of $15,000 and with an estimated final bid of between $60,000 and $80,000. Find out more here.
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Bob Dylan’s original handwritten lyrics for Lay Lady Lay are seen here written in pencil on a sheet of notepad paper (branded by The Atlantic Lumber Company). They’re an early version of the lyrics, as they do not match those in the final song exactly.
The lot includes a letter of authenticity from Jeff Rosen, President of Bob Dylan Music Co., who represented Dylan for 35 years.
The lyrics sheet has a current bid of $120,000 from a starting bid of $100,000. The estimated final price is between $500,000 and $700,000. See more here.
Kurt Cobain DOD Grunge pedal and Self Portrait
Two notable pieces of Kurt Cobain memorabilia are part of the Legends Of Music auction: a DOD Grunge pedal and a self-portrait drawn by Cobain. The distortion pedal was used on stage on 29 December 1993. The listing includes a letter of authenticity from fan Diana Costa, who was in the audience when Cobain accidentally turned on the pedal, causing him to unplug it and throw it off the stage. It was picked up by a member of venue staff, who Costa then asked the pedal for.
The Grunge has a current bid of $7,000 from a starting bid of $2,000. It has a final estimated price of between $8,000 and $10,000. See more here.
The second item is a caricature self-portrait by Cobain, depicting himself playing the guitar,. Written next to the drawing is “Kurdt Kobain Rock Star” and “I don’t know how to play and I don’t give a hoot!”
According to the listing, the drawing was done as a gift to Jacque Chong, a freelance photographer who worked on Nirvana’s Nevermind album promotional tour in Singapore in 1992. Copies of this drawing have previously appeared on apparel by independent label Dover Street Market Ginza.
The item has a current bid of $15,000 from a starting price of $2,500, which is already some ways into the estimated final price of between $10,000 and $20,000. See more here.