“Bought by Bernie Marsden in New York at the end of the ill-fated Whitesnake, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden USA tour in 1981”: The rescheduled Marsden guitar auction offers insight into the journey of the famed collector

Prior to Bernie Marsden’s passing in August 2023, the Whitesnake guitar icon was engaged in selling off significant parts of his immense guitar collection, with sales via UK dealer ATB Guitars and an auction with Gardiner-Houlgate.

Following news of his death, the latter sale was postponed as a mark of respect. Now, a date for the guitar auction – which looks set to include over 100 items from Marsden’s extensive collection – has been announced: June 14.

It should be noted that the way the collection sale was divided previously, saw most of the highest value vintage items offered via ATB Guitars, which has now sold most of the instruments. 

This sale still has more than a hint of star power to it, though – with a 1968 Gretsch Streamliner that spent time on loan to Marsden’s friend Peter Green set to go under the hammer.

“Bought by Bernie Marsden in New York at the end of the ill-fated Whitesnake, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden USA tour in 1981,” reads the description. 

“Bernie loaned the guitar to his friend and guitar hero Peter Green in the 1990s as he enjoyed playing it.”

Elsewhere there’s a Marshall Guv’Nor pedal gifted to Marsden by the late Gary Moore, plus a Rodenberg Electronic GAS808 pedal gifted to Marsden at a Joe Bonamassa and Joe Satriani show in 2014. 

In addition, 11 of the guitars in the sale saw service during Marsden’s Whitesnake era, including a host of lesser-spotted Gibson builds from the late-’70s and early-’80s, among them a Flying V2, Explorer E2, Firebrand 335-S, and RD Artist.

Indeed, browsing the catalog offers a revealing insight into the late Marsden’s love for guitars of all shapes, sizes and brands. 

The likes of custom mods from vintage restoration expert Clive Brown rub against Japanese and Korean Squiers, while pre-war Gibson acoustics sit next to ’90s Washburns. 

Then there’s a wealth of PRS models from the late-’00s/early 2010s, ’80s Greco copies, and US catalog guitars from Stella and Silvertone. Hell there’s even this weird Strat with a Tele neck experiment that we suspect is not 100% official. 

The prices look thoroughly attainable, too – with something for all budgets – with lot estimates across the catalog priced from around $25 to $6,250. 

As we saw with the Mark Knopfler guitar auction, estimates do have a habit of being surpassed when it comes to celebrity collection sales, but it does look like there’s plenty to pick from.

Notably absent from both the ATB sale and this auction, of course, is Marsden’s famed 1959 Gibson Les Paul ‘Burst, ‘The Beast’. That was initially scheduled to be sold alongside his ATB haul, but was removed from the sale when Marsden changed his mind. It presumably still resides with his estate.

For more information on the Marsden sale items and to view the whole catalog, head to Gardiner-Houlgate’s Guitar Auctions.