Eddie Van Halen and Prince Guitars Lead New Auction

10-28-2024

Prince's 1985 Sadowsky, Eddie Van Halen's Canada Day Guitar, Dolly Parton's Smashed Epiphone are just some of the guitars that lead Julien's upcoming Played, Worn and Torn II auction in Nashville next month.

Homage PR sent over these details: This November, Julien's is hitting the road to Music City with the return of "PLAYED, WORN, & TORN II," the industry-leading entertainment auction house's seminal music memorabilia event taking place Wednesday, November 20th and Thursday, November 21st live at The Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum at The Historic Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, TN and online at juliensauctions.com. Julien's announcement kicked off with a preview today at Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square New York of their public exhibition featuring many of the highlights of the auction running through November 3, as well as an exhibition at The Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum at The Historic Municipal Auditorium that will run up until the auction.

Headlining are some of the biggest music acts of all time and their arsenal of instruments, wardrobe, gear, and other iconography that crowned their success and charted their rise to the top from the likes of The Beatles, Prince, Madonna, The Band, Eddie Van Halen, Johnny Cash, Freddie Mercury, Guns N' Roses, Eric Clapton, Dolly Parton, Ronnie Wood, Oasis, George Michael, Billie Eilish, Britney Spears, Selena Gomez, 3 Doors Down, Indigo Girls, and more.

Joining alongside this hall of fame auction's previously announced headliner-George Harrison's groundbreaking early Beatles era Futurama guitar that was played on over 324 legendary Beatles performances at the Cavern Club, The Beatles' first studio recordings, 1960-61 Hamburg Tour and The Beatles' last visit to Hamburg in 1962 ($600,000-$800,000) (photo left: George Harrison with Futurama guitar at Top Ten Club, Hamburg, Germany - will be a significant guitar from fellow rock titan, Prince. The 1985 Sadowsky Telecaster style electric guitar made for The Purple One in metallic purple finish with floral artwork by Wayne Jarrett is an iconic artifact of Prince's collection of most coveted axes (estimate: $200,000-$400,000).

A 1993 Ernie Ball Music Man Eddie Van Halen Signature solid body electric guitar with a red and white Canadian flag graphic played by Eddie Van Halen during the encore of Van Halen's Canada Day show at Molson Park in Barrie, Ontario on July 1st, 1993 and signed by the then-current members of Van Halen: Sammy Hagar, Alex Van Halen, Michael Anthony, and Eddie Van Halen himself (estimate: $60,000-$80,000) (photo left). Proceeds of this sale will benefit City of Hope through the Jaybird Family Fund.

The guitar from his post-Purple Rain tour days appeared in Prince's 1985 "America" music video filmed in Nice, France and stage played during the 1986 Parade Tour as seen in the photographs and footage of Prince playing the guitar, as well as in the hands of guitarist, Wendy Melvoin and featured on the cover of Duane Tudahl's book Prince and the Parade and Sign O' The Times Era Studio Sessions: 1985 and 1986. Prince guitar historian John Woodland comments, "Out of all six guitars Sadowsky made for Prince, the purple floral one saw the most use..." At some point prior to the Lovesexy Tour in 1988, the guitar came into the possession of singer and percussionist Sheila E. In a letter addressed to Sheila E. in 1995, Sadowsky confirms that serial #179 is indeed one of several that he made for Prince. Additionally, Prince's signed handwritten notes related to the Purple Rain back cover album text will also be offered ($8,000-$12,000).

An adrenaline rush of guitars from rock's greatest legends will burn up the auction stage including: a 1990 Torino Red Fender Stratocaster electric guitar signed and stage played by Eric Clapton on his 1989-1991 Journeyman tour (estimate: $50,000-$70,000)