The guitar played by Bob Dylan on ‘Blonde On Blonde’ has gone up for auction.
Dylan used the 1965 Fender Electric XII instrument during sessions for his seventh studio album, which was released in 1966.
The piece of music history – valued at $1million (£725,115) by Heritage Auction Appraisal Services – has gone under the hammer through Gotta Have Rock And Roll, an online auction house specialising in authentic music and pop culture memorabilia.
There is a minimum bid of $215,000 (£156,000), with the auction due to last for the next nine days at the time of writing (April 14).
The 12-string electric guitar was given to Dylan by Fender to use on ‘Highway 61 Revisited’ (1965) and for the early sessions of its follow-up ‘Blonde On Blonde’ at New York’s Columbia 30th Street Studio.
An official listing describes the instrument as “an incredibly rare specimen”, which comes with “a signed letter of provenance from Bob Dylan’s management confirming that this is the very guitar that he owned and used during the ‘Blonde On Blonde’ sessions” as well as a letter of authenticity.
The description reads: “[The guitar] features a combination of the classic Fender sunburst finish with the original pearloid pick-guard and amplifier style knobs. Only a handful of these specific instruments were ever produced due to the pickguard being changed to the common tortoise-shell pickguard.
“This guitar was designed in 1965 with folk and rock artists in mind. Naturally, one was given to Dylan. Offered here is that very same guitar.”
Meanwhile, Bob Dylan’s 80th birthday is set to be marked with a special outdoor concert by Patti Smith. Smith will perform in Tivoli, New York alongside her longtime bandmate Tony Shanahan on May 22 – two days before Dylan turns 80 (on May 24).
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