(Lyon) The Who did not smash all their guitars: a bass specially designed by and for British rocker John Entwistle was sold for 15,650 euros at an auction Thursday in Lyon.
The instrument, whose value had been estimated between 12,000 and 15,000 euros, was purchased by a French collector via an online platform, according to a press release from De Baecque and associates.
It is “a prototype” designed in 1986 by the German luthier Warwick “at the request of John Entwistle who designed it”, explains auctioneer Etienne de Baecque. This Buzzard model, whose shape is reminiscent of a nozzle, was then produced in a limited series.
The first copy was presented during the inauguration in 1988 in Lyon of a specialized store “Guitar Center”, which has since disappeared. The bassist of the Who gave a demonstration before offering the guitar, signed, to a collector from Lyon who is very involved in the world of music.
He had kept it until now, but decided to sell it with other pieces from his collection.
The announcement of the sale had generated “a lot of interest from all over the world”, according to Mr. de Baecque. “Collectors are a bit of a fetishist; the fact that it is dated and signed attracts them,” he says. “We always dream a little with these objects…”
“The Who is still a legendary group,” agrees Antoine Stacchetti, who came on Wednesday to admire the objects on display to the public in anticipation of the sale.
Long manager of the “Guitar Center” store, he attended the “demo” of John Entwistle in 1988, “a notable personality”.
As for his guitar, “it’s a very specific model”, he notes: “it’s huge, which corresponded to the size” of the rocker who died in 2002, nicknamed “the Ox” (the ox) for its solid presence on stage.
The four-string bass, however, was stolen the spotlight on Thursday by a delicate violin bow, designed by the master of the field Eugène Sartory, which was sold for 35,650 euros.