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Prince's Cloud 3 Guitar Re-Discovered + Guitars from Sex Pistols, Bono, Bob Dylan & Robbie Robertson & More
Heading to Julien's Auctions Music Icons
May 7, 2024
THE RETURN OF A LEGEND: PRINCE’S MYTHICAL RE-DISCOVERED CLOUD 3 GUITAR TO REIGN AT JULIEN’S AUCTIONS “MUSIC ICONS”
Prince’s Original Crown Jewel from Historic Tours Spanning Purple Rain to Diamonds & Pearls Stands Atop Pantheon of Greatest Stage-Played Guitars in Rock History
Bob Dylan and Robbie Robertson Historic Stage Played 1965 Fender Telecaster Guitar
Bono’s U2 2005 Gretsch Irish Falcon
Steve Jones’ Original Sex Pistols Gibson Les Paul
Mick Mars Mötley Crüe Kramer T-Style “Girls Girls Girls” Guitar
Kirk Hammett Metallica 1968 Fender Telecaster
Nancy Wilson Heart 1984 Duncan Quattro Electric Guitar
Jerry Garcia The Grateful Dead “Live from the Winterland Ballroom” Travis Bean Electric Guitar
The John Sebastian Collection: A 1960s Counterculture & Lovin’ Spoonful Journey
The Bill Wyman Collection: Over 100 Historic Rolling Stones Relics
Julian Lennon’s Collection of Rare Beatles and John Lennon Artifacts (Benefiting the White Feather Foundation)
ON THE ROAM Collection by Jason Momoa: Guitars Featured in His Hit Series
Memorabilia, Instruments and Artifacts from Elvis Presley, Neil Young, Amy Winehouse, Tina Turner, Taylor Swift, Joan Jett, Eddie Van Halen, AC/DC, Taylor Hawkins, Freddie Mercury, Slash, Johnny Cash, The Eagles, KISS, Foo Fighters, Jack White, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and More
JULIEN’S AUCTIONS “MUSIC ICONS” EXHIBITIONS TOUR:
Nashville, TN: Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum | May 15th – May 18th
New York, NY: Hard Rock Cafe Times Square | May 22nd – May 28th
“MUSIC ICONS” LIVE AUCTION
Hard Rock Cafe Times Square New York
Thursday, May 29th & Friday May 30th
New York, NY – (May 7th, 2024) Julien’s Auctions announced today yet another extraordinary guitar from the chronicle of rock and roll history has been added to their highly anticipated MUSIC ICONS event taking place live Wednesday, May 29th, and Thursday, May 30th, 2024 at Hard Rock Cafe in New York and online at juliensauctions.com.
After nearly twenty years, Prince’s legendary Cloud 3 returns to the auction podium, joining alongside some of rock’s greatest guitars ever to come to auction, including the previously announced John Lennon’s recently found Help! Framus 12-string Hootenanny acoustic guitar and Randy Bachman’s collection of over 200 of his most coveted guitars. Julien’s re-discovery of the Cloud 3 guitar marks a pivotal moment in its remarkable history and reinstates its rightful status as an iconic symbol of the seven-time, GRAMMY-Award winning music artist’s titanic career and rock ‘n’ roll heritage itself.
The yellow Cloud 3 stood as one of Prince’s centerpiece instruments, gracing the stages of his iconic tours from the mid-80s to the early 90s, including, Purple Rain, Parade, Sign of the Times, Lovesexy, and Diamonds & Pearls.
Julien’s verified Cloud 3’s provenance by conducting a CT scan and interviewing Dave Rusan, the luthier behind its creation. It remains fully playable and carries a Certificate of Authenticity from Paisley Park. Previously sold by Christie’s for £4,200 in 2005 and on eBay for a price less than its original listing of £59,000, Cloud 3’s journey took a remarkable turn under Julien’s meticulous care to reclaim its true glory once again. Prince’s Cloud 3 guitar is conservatively estimated to sell this May at auction $400,000-$600,000.
Julien’s successful sales of Prince’s Cloud guitars include his yellow Cloud ($225,000), his “Blue Angel” Cloud 2 ($563,500), and his blue teal Cloud, which set the world record for the most expensive guitar ever sold at auction ($700,000).
“Julien’s Auctions has laid the groundwork for the return of Prince’s Cloud 3 guitar, exemplified by our longstanding commitment to honoring his legacy,” said David Goodman, CEO of Julien’s Auctions. “Our company proudly stands by our proven track record in sourcing and presenting instruments of unparalleled historical significance, and Prince’s Cloud 3 now joins this esteemed category.” He added, “With this guitar and our other exceptional offerings, Julien’s has curated a spectacular collection of the greatest stage-played guitars and historical music artifacts that truly represent a pantheon of music royalty.”
For this momentous occasion, it was also announced that Prince’s Cloud 3 guitar will join the previously announced exhibition tour of the auction featuring other marquee axes played by the likes of Bob Dylan and Robbie Robertson, Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols, and Randy Bachman, at the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum in Nashville, TN, from May 15th to May 18th then heading to New York for its week-long exhibition May 22nd to May 28th before its historic auction, both at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square.
Joining Prince’s iconic Cloud 3 on the auction podium will be a hall of fame of guitars from Bob Dylan and Robbie Robertson’s historic 1965 Fender Telecaster to Bono’s U2 Gretsch Irish Falcon.
Lovingly referred to as the “workhorse,” this 1965 Fender Telecaster burst onto the music scene making history as the guitar played by acoustic folk icon Bob Dylan when he “went electric” in 1966. The Telecaster broke ground on Blonde on Blonde, Isle of Wight, Music from Big Pink, The Band, Watkins Glen, Stage Fright, and more and a list of studio credits that includes the likes of Carly Simon, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Ringo Starr, Jesse Winchester, and of course, The Band.
Owned, stage played, and signed by Bono in 2007, the U2 frontman’s signature Gretsch includes a black leather Levy’s strap, case key, truss rod adjustment tool, and a set of Ernie Ball Power Slinky 11-gauge strings with one black and gold, The Edge Music Rising pick and one black and green Bono pick. The guitar adorned with Bono’s signature in gold pen comes with its original case and accessories.
Sex Pistols
Steve Jones Gibson Les Paul Guitar with Book, Photos, and DVD
Estimate
$100,000 - $200,000
As the punk rock icon has indicated in interviews, many other white Les Paul Customs have been sold as his Sex Pistols guitar but Julien’s has been able to confirm through extensive photo matching that this is the true original and iconic Steve Jones “Sex Pistols guitar.” This heavily played-worn instrument bearing authentic marks of its rebel past, from its cigarette smoke-yellowed finish to visible breaks and repairs from the Pistols’ performances of punk anthems such as “Anarchy in the UK” and “God Save the Queen,” was originally owned by New York Dolls guitarist Syl Sylvain and given to Steve by the former manager of the Sex Pistols, Malcolm McLaren.
This solid body electric guitar, signed by Mars and adorned with custom “Girls Girls Girls” paint by Kline, served as a staple on Motley Crüe’s world tour from 1987 to 1988 and was featured prominently in the music video for “You’re All I Need.” With its distinctive design, including disembodied large breasts on the back, this guitar represents the pinnacle of 80s’ glam rock excess.
The white 1976 Travis Bean TB500 solid body electric guitar numbered 11 owned and extensively played by The Grateful Dead legend is paired with the Slavedriver 360 guitar synthesizer, the first-ever guitar synth played in-studio. Both were used at numerous Grateful Dead concerts including The Dead’s three-night stint at the Winterland Ballroom in 1977. This Travis Bean TB500 is one of two such instruments Garcia used from ’76-’77, the other one being #12. 11 is said to be the second TB500 produced, and is the one that Garcia gave to equipment manager Steve Parish, who worked with Garcia from 1969-1995 and was heavily used in both The Grateful Dead and The Jerry Garcia Band.
One of the Metallica legend’s personal guitars, the 1968 Fender Telecaster was sold for him by Sean Cummings in 2015 and wears a heavily aged blond finish with lots of weather checking and areas of missing finish from use. The body remains in original condition including pickups, bridge, and hardware; the Fender-branded Bigsby B5 vibrato is original to the guitar. Includes mid-to-late 1960s black Fender hardshell case with orange interior, a Beatles Yellow Submarine strap, and a size large Boy Scouts of America hat.
Rocking the auction block will be sensational guitars of hard rock and metal greatness used in stadium anthems, electrifying solos and iconic music videos, among them a custom PSE 335, owned by Guns N’ Roses virtuoso Richard Fortus and stage-played by Dave Grohl on “Paradise City” (estimate: $10,000- $20,000), Nancy Wilson’s revered Duncan Quattro from Heart’s 1980s era.
Also included are a miniature replica of Eddie Van Halen’s iconic Kramer guitar from the 1984 iconic “Hot for Teacher” video signed by the guitar god himself and accompanied by the costume worn by Brian Hitchcock, the child actor who played the young Eddie in the video comprising of a white cotton “No Bozos” T-shirt, a pair of Sergio Valente torn jeans, and an Oleg Cassini denim vest, and memorabilia such as a script and large color photograph of Hitchcock and Eddie Van Halen posing with their guitars at the shoot from the video.
Julien’s has made history in the record-breaking sales of iconic Nirvana items notably Kurt Cobain’s $6 million MTV Unplugged acoustic guitar and once again offers items that add to the legendary rock band’s lore such as, the original handpainted album record store display from the September 21st, 1993 release of the Nirvana In Utero album (estimate: $6,000-$8,000) (photo right), an original 1991 promo photo for Nirvana, signed by all three members of the band: Kurt Cobain, Chris Novoselic, and Dave Grohl with a laminated In Utero era All Access backstage pass (estimate: $4,000-$6,000), and a handwritten Nirvana concert set list by the legendary frontman.
Long Live The King
A royal collection from The King, Elvis Presley’s most iconic and personal pieces includes his TCB necklace, featuring a diamond lightning bolt, that was bestowed upon a Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman who served as liaison to Elvis’s security during his visits to Canada and accompanied him on a memorable sandwich run to Denver (estimate: $6,000-$8,000) (photo left); Elvis’s distinctive brown wool knit jacket, adorned with suede patch panels, from his Beverly Hills residence on Monovale Drive (estimate: $4,000-$6,000); Elvis’s Mathey Tissot Day Date wristwatch, featuring an automatic movement, customized bezel, and gold-plated stainless steel case with elasticized gold tone bracelet, accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity from the Elvis Presley Museum, confirming its origin and association with Elvis's personal collection, (estimate: $10,000-$20,000) and more.
The John Sebastian Collection: A Journey Through 1960s Counterculture
An anthology of nearly forty treasures celebrating 1960s counterculture and the musical legacy of the Lovin’ Spoonful legend features a tie-dye Levi’s jacket worn by John Sebastian at Woodstock in 1969, Isle of Wight, and other historic music events (estimate: $2,000-$3,000) (photo right), his antique round eyeglasses worn on the Lovin’ Spoonful’s Do You Believe in Magic album cover and photo-shoot (estimate: $500-$700), The Best of John Sebastian album cover-worn Dolphin Project T-Shirt with album (estimate: $600-$800), a 1970 tie-dye vest worn on stage (estimate: $600-$800) and other cherished relics of Sebastian’s iconic career.
The Bill Wyman Collection
This time capsule of Bill Wyman’s illustrious career boasts more than 100 lots of important record awards, documents, photographs, personal items and other artifacts from the bass legend’s historic Rolling Stones archive including: The Deluxe 1969 Edition of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland signed by Salvador Dali featuring double suites of the original etching and 12 mixed-media illustrations ( estimate: $10,000-$15,000); RIAA white matte “gold” record awards presented to Charlie Watts for the 1971 album Exile On Main Street (photo left), and 1966 album Big Hits High Tide and Green Grass (each estimate: $4,000-$6,000); a check dated October 1st, 1965 from Westminster Bank Limited account made out to Peebles Hydro and signed by Brian Jones, Mick Jagger, and Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones, (estimate: $800-$1,200); a 1968 fashion invoice signed by Keith Richards detailing items worth over £29 from an unknown merchant (estimate: $800-$1,200); a 1962 invoice from the London fashion boutique Granny Takes A Trip and signed by Brian Jones (estimate: $800-$1,200); two Michael Halsband photographs of Mick Jagger (estimate: $800-$1,200) and more.
The Julian Lennon Collection
At the heart of this event will be a trove of rare Beatles treasures from GRAMMY® Nominated singer/songwriter, multi-faceted entrepreneur and artist, Julian Lennon from his private collection of Beatles iconography and historic personal items from his father John Lennon. A portion of the proceeds from this lot will benefit The White Feather Foundation. These pieces of pop culture and Beatlemania add to the excitement and anticipation of the previously announced Framus 12-string Hootenanny acoustic guitar played by John Lennon and George Harrison on the Help! album which was re-discovered years after Lennon had given it away to a friend as a gift. Heading to the Music Icons event from Julian Lennon’s collection are these highlights: “Gold” record awards celebrating the sale of over 1 million copies of the Beatles’ singles “Help!” in 1965, “Hey Jude” in 1968, “Yellow Submarine” in 1966 (estimate range each: $5,000-$7,000) and awards recognising $1m in sales for the albums Let it Be in 1970 ($5,000- $7,000) and Rubber Soul in 1965 ($4,000-$6,000); several animation cels of beloved scenes from the Beatles’ classic 1969 film Yellow Submarine featuring the Fab Four, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and John Lennon (photo left) (estimate range each: $400-$800); Paul McCartney and Wings’ 1973 Red Rose Speedway album promotional poster ($300-$500) and more.
ON THE ROAM Collection by Jason Momoa
Film and television star and avid musician Jason Momoa’s impressive collection of fine guitars showcased in his ON THE ROAM series will travel to Music Icons. Highlights include: a Gibson custom Billy Gibbons signed Pearly Gates Les Paul guitar (estimate: $8,000-$10,000) seen in ON THE ROAM’S first season episode wherein the Aquaman and Game of Thrones star, Gibbons, and Gibson CEO Caesar Gueikian plan to auction off the guitar for the Gibson Gives charity initiative. This Gibson Custom Murphy Lab Ultra Heavy Aged Les Paul is a replica of ZZ Top frontman Billy Gibbons’ famous 1959 model known to the world as Pearly Gates and signed by Gibbons; a Gibson Custom Slash “Jessica” Les Paul (estimate: $8,000-$10,000) also seen in ON THE ROAM’S first season episode in the hands of Jason and Slash wherein Jason and the Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver legend plan to auction off the guitar for MusiCares. Made in 2020, this Gibson Custom Jessica is a replica of the main guitar Slash has used since 1988; a 2020 Pachyderm solid body electric bass guitar custom made by luthier Dan Maloney for Jason Momoa and played on tour by Les Claypool of Primus and seen in the hands of Claypool during the series’ seventh episode (photo right of Jason Momoa, Dan Maloney and Les Claypool). Completed in September of 2020, the bass is nick named “Momoa’s Koa” by the luthiers for its exceptionally figured top made of wood found only in Hawaii (estimate: $20,000- $40,000) and will be auctioned in support of St. Jude Children’s Hospital; as well as a 2022 TYDE Ukulele, 2021 Carl Thompson fretless four-string electric bass guitar, a Fender Custom Shop ‘51 Esquire Heavy Relic and more.
Other exceptional highlights include (with estimates):
MUSIC ICONS PUBLIC EXHIBITIONS
Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum
401 Gay Street
Nashville, Tennessee 37219
Wednesday, May 15th , 2024 – Saturday, May 18th , 2024
Open: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Central Time daily
https://www.musicianshalloffame.com
LIVE AND ONLINE AUCTION & EXHIBITION LOCATION
Hard Rock Cafe New York
1501 Broadway-Times Square
New York, NY 10036
Exhibition: Wednesday, May 22nd, 2024 – Tuesday, May 28th, 2024
Free to the public: 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time daily
Music Icons
Wednesday, May 29th
10:00 a.m. Eastern Time
Music Icons
The Randy Bachman Collection
Thursday, May 30th
10:00 a.m. Eastern Time
REGISTER TO BID
Registration is required to bid in this auction and can be done in person on the day of the auction, or online before the sale at JuliensAuctions.com
For inquiries, please email [email protected] or call 310-836-1818.
PLACING BIDS
- Bid with JuliensAuctions.com online.
- Bid over the telephone through an auction house representative.
- Bid in person in the room at our auction events.
- Bid in advance by absentee bid. Absentee bid forms are available by calling 310-836-1818
Julien's Auctions
For the moments that matter.
You know that moment when the lights dim, right before your favorite band starts playing? Or that feeling right before the credits roll on a movie that changed your whole world in an instant? The air is charged with anticipation and words are never going to do it justice because you just really had to be there.
At Julien’s, we exist to bring those moments back into your life through iconic artifacts and one-of-a-kind collections. Whether collaborating directly with artists, partnering with legendary estates, or working closely with discerning collectors, our auctions make culture pop with the promise of discovery and reconnection. From Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, and Ringo Starr to Lady Gaga, Banksy, and Kurt Cobain—from LA to the world, we are where originals find their kind.
Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum
Joe Chambers was an accomplished musician and songwriter, and, as a couple, Joe and Linda Chambers opened a chain of guitar stores, Chambers Guitars. The couple co-founded and opened the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum in 2006 on 6th Avenue South. They relocated to what is now known as the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum at Nashville’s Historic Municipal Auditorium in 2013 and also houses the GRAMMY Gallery. The museum, revered by artists including Keith Richards, Ringo Starr, Garth Brooks, and Neil Young, and recently added exhibits featuring Glen Campbell, Alan Parsons, Marshall Tucker Band and drummer, Stan Lynch. The mission of the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum is to honor all great musicians regardless of genre or instruments. This is done by exhibiting the actual instrument they used to record some of the most iconic songs in recorded history. Not only does the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum entertain local and international visitors but also educates them about the musicians who actually played on the “soundtracks of their lives.” The Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum is a 501 (c) (3) charity organization.
About Hard Rock®
Hard Rock International (HRI) is one of the most globally recognized companies with venues in over 70 countries spanning 309 locations that include owned/licensed or managed Hotels, Casinos, Rock Shops®, Live Performance Venues and Cafes. HRI also launched a joint venture named Hard Rock Digital in 2020, an online sportsbook, retail sportsbook and internet gaming platform. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world's largest and most valuable collection of authentic music memorabilia at more than 88,000 pieces, which are displayed at its locations around the globe. Hard Rock Hotels has been honored by J.D. Power’s North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Study as the number one brand in Outstanding Guest Satisfaction for two consecutive years, and among the top Upper Upscale Hotels for four consecutive years. HRI became the first privately-owned gaming company designated a U.S. Best Managed Company by Deloitte Private and The Wall Street Journal in 2021, and has since been honored threefold. Hard Rock was also honored by Forbes among the World’s Best Employers, as well as Best Employers for Women, Diversity and New Grads and a Top Large Employer in the Travel & Leisure, Gaming and Entertainment Industry. In the 2022 Global Gaming Awards, Hard Rock was named Land-Based Operator of the Year for the second time in four years. Hard Rock International currently holds investment grades from primary investment-grade rating agencies: S&P Global Ratings (BBB) and Fitch Ratings (BBB). For more information on Hard Rock International, visit www.hardrock.com or shop.hardrock.com.
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Julien's Auctions
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(646) 653-3105
