Achi news desk-
Randy Bachman is saying goodbye to some of the instruments that shaped his legendary rock career, including the guitar used to compose the Guess Who classic “American Woman.”
The Winnipeg-born musician says 200 of his signature guitars will be auctioned off at New York’s Hard Rock Cafe and online on May 29 and 30.
The instruments include a 1959 Les Paul Standard guitar, which Bachman acquired in 1968 when he took an unexpected turn for a performance in the basement of a church in Nanaimo, BC. His own guitar was suffering from a split neck, so a fan offered him the Les Paul instead.
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The guitar later inspired the famous “American Woman” riff which he came up with during a performance at a curling rink.
Julien’s Auctions says the guitar now has a conservative estimated value of US$200,000 to $400,000.
Other items up for auction include Bachman’s 1968 Fender Hardtail Stratocaster, which was played on the single “Let it Ride,” and a 1957 Sunburst Harmony acoustic, the first guitar he got as a young violinist – which by his design brings to mind the look of a violin.
& copy 2024 The Canadian Press
