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Nearly 200 well-loved guitars from Bachman’s personal collection, many of them stage-played, will be on offer this May to the highest bidder.
Randy Bachman's career is a thrilling journey through the annals of rock 'n' roll history. As a founding member of The Guess Who, Bachman helped shape the sound of Canadian rock in the 1960s. His guitar prowess and songwriting talents were instrumental in the band's success, with hits like "American Woman" and "These Eyes" solidifying their place in rock royalty.
After leaving The Guess Who, Bachman co-founded Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO), unleashing a new wave of rock anthems in the 1970s. Songs like "Takin' Care of Business" and "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" became timeless classics, showcasing Bachman's knack for crafting catchy, guitar-driven tunes that resonated with audiences worldwide.
Beyond his work with bands, Bachman's solo career has been equally impressive, showcasing his versatility as a musician and songwriter. His live performances continue to captivate fans, reflecting his enduring impact on the history of rock n’ roll.
A 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard, in faded sunburst finish. Affectionately known as the “American Woman” guitar – it is indeed the very same instrument on which Randy wrote The Guess Who’s most famous hit song.
Estimate: $200,000-400,000
A 1969 Gibson Les Paul Custom, in ebony finish. Left behind for re-fretting at a music shop by a Rolling Stones roadie, Bachman found it while on tour in 1975 and made it his own.
Estimate: $20,000-40,000
This white 1955 Stratocaster was Randy’s back-up during the B.T.O. days, used in numerous performances, immortalized in album artwork, and is the very same guitar he used in the 1975 music video for “Roll on Down the Highway.” Also used to record some of the rhythm parts of “Hey You” and doubled with Randy’s hard tail ’68 Stratocaster for the beginning of “Let it Ride.”
Estimate: $100,000-200,000
A 1977 Gretsch Super Axe solid body electric guitar, in Ebony Stain, signed by the great Chet Atkins himself. After the 1976 theft of Randy’s prized orange 1957 Gretsch 6120, he received a phone call at his home…
“One of my kids said, ‘Dad, Chad’s on the phone.’ I said, ‘Chad? Tell him I’ll call him back.’”
Thankfully, the phone rang a second time, and sure enough it wasn’t Chad –– it was “Mr. Guitar” himself, Chet Atkins. He’d heard about Randy’s stolen guitar and wanted to send him a gift. Some time later, a prototype Gretsch Super Axe showed up with a special serial number pressed onto the back of the headstock: CA2RB001, which stands for “Chet Atkins to Randy Bachman 001.”
This is one of three such guitars that existed at the time; one was in Atkins’ possession, while the other, a left-handed model, went to Paul McCartney.
Estimate: $1,000-2,000
A 1957 Harmony H1215 acoustic archtop guitar, in a two-tone sunburst finish.
This was Randy’s first guitar, ever – purchased out of a Simpson-Sears catalog in Winnipeg, Manitoba for a handsome price of $34.95, a sum mostly paid by his parents (Randy contributed 3 or 4 dollars of his own, to be sure).
Randy practiced on this guitar for some time, until his makeshift shoelace strap slipped while playing songs at his cousin’s 10th birthday party, shattering the top on the treble side of the body, all the way from the lower bout to the neck. Tears flowing, yet undeterred, Randy fished out his model airplane glue and set about repairs, eventually securing the large piece of the top that had broken off.
Estimate: $600-800
A c.1950s-1960s era Wolfgang Huttl Op-Art acoustic guitar, in natural finish over flamed maple and what appears to be wenge.
Made by Wolfgang Huttl in West Germany in the late 1950s or early 1960s, this is one of the most unique pieces in Randy’s collection. The double-cutaways and open harp-style tailpiece could be inspired by Rickenbacker, and the same could be said for the triangular fretboard inlays which jut into the rosewood from the bass side and are made from the same white-black-white material as the body binding.
Estimate: $4,000-6,000
A 1955 Hoyer Bianka Acoustic Archtop guitar, blonde finish.
Along with Arnold Hoyer’s desire to manufacture top-quality instruments after re-organizing the company his grandfather Franz opened in 1874, it seems that ornate and dazzling instruments were also the order of the day. Randy calls this guitar “art you can play!”
Estimate: $8,000-10,000
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