Nancy Wilson is selling off her live ‘Barracuda’ SG and a stash of other ’70s and ’80s guitars

Following in the footsteps of Peter Frampton and Mike Campbell, Heart guitar legend Nancy Wilson has announced she is selling of a number of electric guitars from her personal collection, including the late-’60s SG she used live on tour with Heart for the hit Barracuda. 

Wilson’s gear will hit the market via a dedicated store front space on Reverb.com from October 19. The SG is the headline item of the collection, featuring a Bigsby tremolo and two huge Marine Corps stickers on the back of the instrument.

Image 1 of 2

“It's traveled really far with me and we’ve done a lot of stages and shows together,” comments Wilson. “You might recognize this Marine Corps symbol here that I used to flash after Barracuda at the end of shows. My dad was a military man, and there’s pictures of me saluting at a lot of shows. This guitar is one true hero.”

Other instruments Wilson’s haul including a unique PRS 12-string prototype with a custom dragon inlay on the body. It is described as hailing from the brand’s ‘pre-factory’ era (i.e. typically produced 1985-1995), though it has seen much more recent use. 

“This is one of the coolest guitars I’ve ever owned,” Wilson says. “It came with me all over the [latest] Heart Tour. I played the first song of the tour on this guitar, Rockin’ Heaven Down.”

Vintage heads will likely be turned by the 1957 Fender Stratocaster (“It’s got all the good dirt in the sound of it from the ‘50s”, says the guitarist). 

Elsewhere, there’s a great sample of ’70s/’80s guitar innovation and craftsmanship in the shape of a late-‘70s David Petschulat Mini Les Paul.

These were, exactly as the name implies, miniaturised versions of a Les Paul-style build, made for a few select players by Petschulat, a former Kahler employee.

Among those to purchase one was Eddie Van Halen, who is also reported to have contracted Petschulat to develop his very first locking tremolo with fine tuners. 

“It’s very teeny tiny,” says Wilson of her personal Mini. “It was on stage with me, and Howard Lee has had one, too. It’s also the star of the cover of Heart’s album Greatest Hits Live.”

Also included in the sale is  a Duncan Quattro – a now seemingly rare ’80s build from Seymour Duncan, featuring a Floyd Rose locking tremolo and HSS pickup configuration (though the single coil in the neck appears to be a Hot Rails-style mini humbucker). 

The final item to be flagged in the announcement is a TV Jones Spectra Sonic that, like Wilson’s preferred SG, is also equipped with a Bigsby vibrato.

You can preview the gear on Reverb from today, before the sale opens properly on October 19. All in all, it’s a fascinating cross-section of the Heart icon’s collection and late-20th century electric guitar design. 

Guitar World notes she’s decided to hold on to her distinctive 1963 Telecaster, though Wilson didn’t mind lending it to Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready when he dropped in at a recent Seattle show…