Highlights include Let It Bleed-era ’69 Fender Mustang bass, “Rock and Roll Circus” Les Paul and Vox AC30 he used to audition for the band
(Image credit: Larry Hulst/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Julien’s has announced the Property From Bill Wyman and His Rolling Stones Archive auction, set for May 29-31 in Beverly Hills.
The archive boasts a collection of Wyman’s instruments, guitar amps, stage-worn clothes, awards, personal items and artifacts from his days with Stones, as well as gear and other pieces from his solo career.
(Image credit: Julien's Auctions)
Among the many instruments up for sale include the 1962 Vox AC30 “Normal” model guitar amp (estimate: $80,000-$100,000) Wyman used to audition for the Stones; a 1969 Fender Mustang Bass Competition Orange ($300,000-$500,000) played by Wyman for Stones concerts and recordings in 1969 and 1970; and a 1978 Travis Bean custom short-scale bass ($200,000-$300,000) that appeared in Stones videos, on record and onstage.
1962 Vox AC30 (Image credit: Julien's Auctions)
There’s also a 1974 Dan Armstrong Prototype bass ($100,000-$200,000) played on the band’s 1975-76 tour; a black 1981 Steinberger Custom Short-Scale XL Series bass ($100,000-$200,000) used on the’82 tour; a Framus Star Bass model 5/150 Black Rose Sunburst ($80,000-$100,000) Wyman played in the band’s’63-’65 period; a 1968 Gibson Les Paul Gold Top used by Stones guitarist Brian Jones for the Rock and Roll Circus performance; and more.
“This sale features nearly all of the important instruments, equipment and wardrobe in Wyman’s archive, offering fans a singular opportunity to own these historic pieces,” said Executive Director of Julien’s Auctions Martin Nolan.
Said Wyman, “Collecting and archiving has been one of the great pleasures of my life and will undoubtedly be one of my legacies. It feels like the right time to share my archive with the world. I hope people will get as much joy from my collections as I have.
“It is easier to let these items go knowing that a portion of the proceeds from this sale will support three causes that are close to my heart: The Prince’s Trust, Macmillan Cancer Support and CCMI (Central Caribbean Marine Institute) who are at the forefront of restoring the health of the world’s reefs and oceans.”
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A public exhibition opens March 10 at the Museum of Style Icons at the Newbridge Silverware Visitor’s Centre in Ireland, with stops at the Hard Rock Café in New York City and Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills.
The live and online auction begins May 29. For more information, head to Julien’s.
Rich is the co-author of the best-selling Nöthin' But a Good Time: The Uncensored History of the '80s Hard Rock Explosion. He is also a recording and performing musician, and a former editor of Guitar World magazine and executive editor of Guitar Aficionado magazine. He has authored several additional books, among them Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, the companion to the documentary of the same name.
