Musical Instrument
Mechanical music is in Instrument and equipment
See also : Violin Guitar Music Hall The Beatles Movies Movies II Archaic China Song and Yuan Later Ming
Chronology : 1-1000 1000-1150 1680-1699 1700-1719 1720-1729 1740-1749
See also : Violin Guitar Music Hall The Beatles Movies Movies II Archaic China Song and Yuan Later Ming
Chronology : 1-1000 1000-1150 1680-1699 1700-1719 1720-1729 1740-1749
756 - Gods, Sages and Emperors
2011 SOLD 115 M RMB yuan by China Guardian
PRE 2013 SALE DISCUSSION
The qin is the traditional Chinese plucked string instrument. The antique variants are now designated as guqin.
The guqin is the first of the four treasures of the scholar, ahead of Chinese go, calligraphy and ink painting. It was known since ancient times and the Chinese tradition likes to assign it with a pre-dynastic origin. Confucius is quoted among the sages who improved the instrument.
The classical seven-string guqin provides a music of great subtlety facilitated by the dots of harmony distributed on the surface. The wooden back is also an invitation to the inscription of poems.
The Imperial guqins are of great rarity. One of them named Da Sheng Yi Yin (reminiscent of the great sage) was sold for RMB yuan 115 million by China Guardian in 2011.
It was produced for or by the Emperor Suzong of the Tang. Lacquered in black and brown, it wears a poem and a seal and its harmonics match the months of the Chinese calendar. Its date is corresponding to 756 in our own calendar. Both sides are illustrated in an article shared by China Daily.
Da Sheng Yi Yin is again announced by China Guardian in the autumn sales held in Beijing from 16 to 20 November. (see comment below)
In December 2010, Poly sold for RMB yuan 137 million including premium (US $ 20.7 million in the conversion rate of that time) an imperial Song guqin made for the Emperor Huizong in 1120 of our calendar.
PRE 2013 SALE COMMENT
This lot is not confirmed in the catalogue. My announcement was probably a misinterpretation of an early press release.
The qin is the traditional Chinese plucked string instrument. The antique variants are now designated as guqin.
The guqin is the first of the four treasures of the scholar, ahead of Chinese go, calligraphy and ink painting. It was known since ancient times and the Chinese tradition likes to assign it with a pre-dynastic origin. Confucius is quoted among the sages who improved the instrument.
The classical seven-string guqin provides a music of great subtlety facilitated by the dots of harmony distributed on the surface. The wooden back is also an invitation to the inscription of poems.
The Imperial guqins are of great rarity. One of them named Da Sheng Yi Yin (reminiscent of the great sage) was sold for RMB yuan 115 million by China Guardian in 2011.
It was produced for or by the Emperor Suzong of the Tang. Lacquered in black and brown, it wears a poem and a seal and its harmonics match the months of the Chinese calendar. Its date is corresponding to 756 in our own calendar. Both sides are illustrated in an article shared by China Daily.
Da Sheng Yi Yin is again announced by China Guardian in the autumn sales held in Beijing from 16 to 20 November. (see comment below)
In December 2010, Poly sold for RMB yuan 137 million including premium (US $ 20.7 million in the conversion rate of that time) an imperial Song guqin made for the Emperor Huizong in 1120 of our calendar.
PRE 2013 SALE COMMENT
This lot is not confirmed in the catalogue. My announcement was probably a misinterpretation of an early press release.
1120 Guqin (plucked string instrument) for Song emperor Huizong
2010 SOLD 137 M RMB yuan including premium by Poly
Link to post sale article by People's Daily.
later Ming - Guqin (plucked string instrument)
2010 SOLD 58 M RMB yuan by Suzhou Wumen Auction Company
1684 Stradivari in the Following of Amati
2017 SOLD for £ 1.92M including premium
During his very long career Nicola Amati had been the most important luthier in Cremona. He died in 1684 aged 88 without having ceased his activity. His younger colleague Antonio Stradivari had then to deal with an increase of orders.
Formal business relations between the two workshops are not known but a 1666 label suggests that Stradivari began his career as an apprentice ('alumnus') to Amati.
Amati had been a great innovator and experimenter, identifying how a tiny variation in the shape or size of a violin generates considerable differences in the sound. He had also tried to develop an optimized varnish. Stradivari analyzes the solutions found by the old master. He will be considered from 1690 as the most important designer and manufacturer of violins of all time.
On March 28 in London, Ingles and Hayday sells a stradivarius violin, lot 28 estimated over £ 1,3M. The instrument bears an original label inscribed 'Antonius Stradiuarius Cremonensis Faciebat Anno 1684' and presents all the characteristics of this very important period which launched the career of the master then 40 years old.
This violin had surfaced in the mid-1880s in the very active musical circles in Edinburgh and is now identified as the Ex Croall McEwen specimen. Used regularly in concert in the last thirty years, it offers important references in discography from 1985 to 1990 with the young soloist Frank Peter Zimmermann.
Please watch the video shared by the auction house:
Formal business relations between the two workshops are not known but a 1666 label suggests that Stradivari began his career as an apprentice ('alumnus') to Amati.
Amati had been a great innovator and experimenter, identifying how a tiny variation in the shape or size of a violin generates considerable differences in the sound. He had also tried to develop an optimized varnish. Stradivari analyzes the solutions found by the old master. He will be considered from 1690 as the most important designer and manufacturer of violins of all time.
On March 28 in London, Ingles and Hayday sells a stradivarius violin, lot 28 estimated over £ 1,3M. The instrument bears an original label inscribed 'Antonius Stradiuarius Cremonensis Faciebat Anno 1684' and presents all the characteristics of this very important period which launched the career of the master then 40 years old.
This violin had surfaced in the mid-1880s in the very active musical circles in Edinburgh and is now identified as the Ex Croall McEwen specimen. Used regularly in concert in the last thirty years, it offers important references in discography from 1985 to 1990 with the young soloist Frank Peter Zimmermann.
Please watch the video shared by the auction house:
The 'Ex-Croall; McEwen' violin by Antonio Stradivari, 1684, will be the star lot in our March auction. https://t.co/fcCBnJwhyK #violin pic.twitter.com/vya7fsGfL4
— Ingles & Hayday (@InglesHayday) January 27, 2017
1696 The Maturity of Stradivarius
2013 SOLD 1.4 M£ including premium
In the 1690s, musicians were demanding violins with more powerful sound, and Antonio Stradivari endeavoured to meet their request. He then maintained two product lines. The subtlety of the art of violin making is extreme : the difference in length between Long Strads and classical violins does not exceed 5 mm.
On December 18 online from London, Tarisio sells a violin made by Stradivari in Cremona, dated 1696 by its label, with a starting bid of £ 1M.
This is a fine example of violin with a normal back length of 35.4 cm. It is similar in style to the Molitor of 1697 which was sold for $ 3.6 million by Tarisio on October 14, 2010. Its back is in flamed maple, a recognizable variety which was also used on a 1696 viola and on the 1698 Baron Knoop violin.
Great instruments do not stay in the showcases and their careers with the musicians are often full of adventures and anecdotes. The violin for sale retains its original label, but its provenance is unknown until its authentication by an expert in 2000.
It was acquired soon afterward by a young soloist, and was stolen in 2010 in London in a railway station cafe. It was retrieved undamaged a few months ago, but its owner could not have waited for so long. She now has another Stradivarius, which explains why her former instrument enters the market.
POST SALE COMMENT
The Stradivarius violin was sold for £ 1.2M before fees.
I invite you to view the video shared by ITV where the violin is intoduced by a manager of the auction house :
On December 18 online from London, Tarisio sells a violin made by Stradivari in Cremona, dated 1696 by its label, with a starting bid of £ 1M.
This is a fine example of violin with a normal back length of 35.4 cm. It is similar in style to the Molitor of 1697 which was sold for $ 3.6 million by Tarisio on October 14, 2010. Its back is in flamed maple, a recognizable variety which was also used on a 1696 viola and on the 1698 Baron Knoop violin.
Great instruments do not stay in the showcases and their careers with the musicians are often full of adventures and anecdotes. The violin for sale retains its original label, but its provenance is unknown until its authentication by an expert in 2000.
It was acquired soon afterward by a young soloist, and was stolen in 2010 in London in a railway station cafe. It was retrieved undamaged a few months ago, but its owner could not have waited for so long. She now has another Stradivarius, which explains why her former instrument enters the market.
POST SALE COMMENT
The Stradivarius violin was sold for £ 1.2M before fees.
I invite you to view the video shared by ITV where the violin is intoduced by a manager of the auction house :
1697 Molitor Stradivarius violin
2010 SOLD for $ 3.6M by Tarisio
Shared by Wikimedia :
1705 Luck and Skill of Stradivarius
2012 SOLD 2.6 M$ including premium
Stradivari's first luck was to be born in Cremona, which thanks to the Amati family was the capital of violin making. Then, his story is that of a continuous improvement of his favorite instrument.
In the 1680s, the Stradivarius violins have the same features as those of Nicolo Amati. Customers love to hear music in large concert halls, and require to improve the sound. The Molitor, dated 1697, is already a wonderful violin. It was sold for $ 3.6 million by Tarisio in October 2010.
On April 26 online, Tarisio sells a Stradivarius violin, little known and well preserved, manufactured around 1705, the Baron von der Leyen. The bidding will begin at $ 2M for this instrument of the period of maturity.
The Lady Blunt, sold £ 9.8 million including premium on 20 June 2011, also at Tarisio, is dated 1721. Its fabulous price is due to its pristine condition.
POST SALE COMMENT
Good result for this violin that was little known before the sale: $ 2.3 million before fees, 2.6 million including premium.
I invite you to play the video shared on YouTube by Tarisio :
In the 1680s, the Stradivarius violins have the same features as those of Nicolo Amati. Customers love to hear music in large concert halls, and require to improve the sound. The Molitor, dated 1697, is already a wonderful violin. It was sold for $ 3.6 million by Tarisio in October 2010.
On April 26 online, Tarisio sells a Stradivarius violin, little known and well preserved, manufactured around 1705, the Baron von der Leyen. The bidding will begin at $ 2M for this instrument of the period of maturity.
The Lady Blunt, sold £ 9.8 million including premium on 20 June 2011, also at Tarisio, is dated 1721. Its fabulous price is due to its pristine condition.
POST SALE COMMENT
Good result for this violin that was little known before the sale: $ 2.3 million before fees, 2.6 million including premium.
I invite you to play the video shared on YouTube by Tarisio :
1707 'Hammer' Stradivarius Violin
2006 SOLD for $ 3.55M including premium by Christie's
1721 The Lady Blunt
2011 SOLD 9.8 M£ including premium
The art of Antonio Stradivari has never been equaled. The wood of his instruments was carefully selected, the master was a very clever manufacturer and an excellent mathematician. The secret of the high quality of his violins has however never been discovered.
An interesting hypothesis, not proven, is based on the fact that instruments made at the same time by Andrea Guarneri are approaching the quality of the Stradivarius: the very cold climate of the late seventeenth century would have created less dense wood by slowing the growth of trees.
The Lady Blunt has all the qualities required to excite violinists and experts. Luckily, this specimen is very close to its original state. It was manufactured in 1721, in the best time of Stradivari. It belonged to Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume, the French violin maker of the nineteenth century who made commendable efforts to understand and achieve the quality of the Stradivarius.
In 2008, this wonderful violin was purchased by Nippon Music in a private transaction whose amount exceeded $ 10M. This Tokyo foundation has decided to sell it to benefit the victims of the earthquake and tsunami. The auction, which will be held on June 20 in London, is entrusted to Tarisio which is a leader in this market.
The Lady Blunt is illustrated in the article shared by the Wall Street Journal.
POST SALE COMMENT
Here is the auction result of a Stradivarius violin in exceptional condition : £ 8.75M before fees.
The advertised price of the private transaction of 2008 is exceeded.
Congratulations to Tarisio for this great sale.
I invite you to play the post sale video shared on YouTube by Tarisio. It is also shared on Wikimedia.
An interesting hypothesis, not proven, is based on the fact that instruments made at the same time by Andrea Guarneri are approaching the quality of the Stradivarius: the very cold climate of the late seventeenth century would have created less dense wood by slowing the growth of trees.
The Lady Blunt has all the qualities required to excite violinists and experts. Luckily, this specimen is very close to its original state. It was manufactured in 1721, in the best time of Stradivari. It belonged to Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume, the French violin maker of the nineteenth century who made commendable efforts to understand and achieve the quality of the Stradivarius.
In 2008, this wonderful violin was purchased by Nippon Music in a private transaction whose amount exceeded $ 10M. This Tokyo foundation has decided to sell it to benefit the victims of the earthquake and tsunami. The auction, which will be held on June 20 in London, is entrusted to Tarisio which is a leader in this market.
The Lady Blunt is illustrated in the article shared by the Wall Street Journal.
POST SALE COMMENT
Here is the auction result of a Stradivarius violin in exceptional condition : £ 8.75M before fees.
The advertised price of the private transaction of 2008 is exceeded.
Congratulations to Tarisio for this great sale.
I invite you to play the post sale video shared on YouTube by Tarisio. It is also shared on Wikimedia.
By Tarisio Auctions. Violachick68 at English Wikipedia - Was sent to me personally, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28827720
1725 Del Gesu Violins
2012 SOLD 1.5 M£ including premium
The followers of Amati maintained Cremona as the undisputed capital of violin making. Facing Stradivari who worked until over 90 years old, the Guarneri family has also created wonderful instruments. Maybe they used the same sources for the woods.
The popular image for Stradivari is that of a perfectionist craftsman taking care of every detail of the wood and shape. In contrast, the last of the Guarneri from Cremona, Giovanni, is viewed as a more romantic figure. His violins reach the same power and the same quality of tone as the best Stradivarius instruments, and some great performers like Paganini even preferred a Guarnerius.
Giovanni Guarneri inscribed his violins with an acronym of Christ and a cross. For this reason, he received the nickname Del Gesu, also applied to his instruments.
On June 25 online from London, Tarisio sells a Guarnerius Del Gesu estimated £ 1.5 M. Made around 1725, it is one of the earliest instruments of the master at the time when he left the workshop of his father to make his own instruments. It is in very good condition.
POST SALE COMMENT
Great price for this exceptional violin: £ 1.35 million before fees. The catalog stated that the previous auction record for this maker was £ 572K in 1988.
The popular image for Stradivari is that of a perfectionist craftsman taking care of every detail of the wood and shape. In contrast, the last of the Guarneri from Cremona, Giovanni, is viewed as a more romantic figure. His violins reach the same power and the same quality of tone as the best Stradivarius instruments, and some great performers like Paganini even preferred a Guarnerius.
Giovanni Guarneri inscribed his violins with an acronym of Christ and a cross. For this reason, he received the nickname Del Gesu, also applied to his instruments.
On June 25 online from London, Tarisio sells a Guarnerius Del Gesu estimated £ 1.5 M. Made around 1725, it is one of the earliest instruments of the master at the time when he left the workshop of his father to make his own instruments. It is in very good condition.
POST SALE COMMENT
Great price for this exceptional violin: £ 1.35 million before fees. The catalog stated that the previous auction record for this maker was £ 572K in 1988.
1745 Legacy from the Second Tree
2016 SOLD for HK$ 56M including premium
During the second year of the Yongzheng emperor, the young prince Hongli is studying in a library of the imperial city. This Wutong Library is named in reference to a pair of trees placed from immemorial time at the entrance of the pavilion. One of them has already withered away and was replaced, symbolizing the regeneration.
Hongli has become the Qianlong emperor. The second wutong tree passes in its turn during the ninth year of the new reign. Qianlong orders by imperial decree that the wood of the old tree is used to make four qin.
The qin was honored under the Tang and the Song as the first in the list of the four treasures of the scholar. This luxurious zither with seven plucked strings offered the ultimate Chinese music. During the Qing dynasty, the qin is a scarce instrument that revives the past.
The realization of the four Qianlong qin is documented in considerable detail in the imperial books. Each of them is marked with another imperial poem. They are delivered to the Emperor on the 20th day of the 10th month of the 11th year of the reign, during the year 1745 of our calendar. One of the four qin survived. It is estimated HK $ 25M for sale by Sotheby's in Hong Kong on October 5, lot 3605.
This tall instrument 1 m in overall length with cinnabar lacquered outer walls was conceived for prestige. It was sparingly played and remains in great condition.
Hongli has become the Qianlong emperor. The second wutong tree passes in its turn during the ninth year of the new reign. Qianlong orders by imperial decree that the wood of the old tree is used to make four qin.
The qin was honored under the Tang and the Song as the first in the list of the four treasures of the scholar. This luxurious zither with seven plucked strings offered the ultimate Chinese music. During the Qing dynasty, the qin is a scarce instrument that revives the past.
The realization of the four Qianlong qin is documented in considerable detail in the imperial books. Each of them is marked with another imperial poem. They are delivered to the Emperor on the 20th day of the 10th month of the 11th year of the reign, during the year 1745 of our calendar. One of the four qin survived. It is estimated HK $ 25M for sale by Sotheby's in Hong Kong on October 5, lot 3605.
This tall instrument 1 m in overall length with cinnabar lacquered outer walls was conceived for prestige. It was sparingly played and remains in great condition.
An Imperial Cinnabar Lacquer Wutong Qin Ql from 1745 sells for HK$55.5/US$7.2m – far over est. and record for a Qing musical instrument pic.twitter.com/cXLtyQUWgR
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) October 5, 2016
(1927)-1942 The Moroccan Piano of Casablanca
2014 SOLD for $ 3.4M including premium
Casablanca, produced by Warner Bros in 1942, is one of the most outstanding and beloved movies of romantic action, offering the emotional meeting of Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. A basic part of the scenario is played around the piano in the night club.
The instrument was made in 1927 and stored by the First National Pictures (FNP) of which it bears an inventory mark. When it was chosen for the film, it was painted with orientalist patterns.
This instrument has a unique feature related to the requirements of the film: the lid is detached from the case in order to enable the gesture of the actor who hides inside it some coveted papers.
This piano with its original stool is lot 83 in the sale of souvenirs of the American cinema organized on November 24 by Bonhams in New York with the participation of Turner Classic Movies.
There is another Casablanca piano, screen used in a flashback scene located in Paris. This instrument of the "Belle Aurore" was sold for $ 600K including premium by Sotheby's on December 14, 2012.
The instrument was made in 1927 and stored by the First National Pictures (FNP) of which it bears an inventory mark. When it was chosen for the film, it was painted with orientalist patterns.
This instrument has a unique feature related to the requirements of the film: the lid is detached from the case in order to enable the gesture of the actor who hides inside it some coveted papers.
This piano with its original stool is lot 83 in the sale of souvenirs of the American cinema organized on November 24 by Bonhams in New York with the participation of Turner Classic Movies.
There is another Casablanca piano, screen used in a flashback scene located in Paris. This instrument of the "Belle Aurore" was sold for $ 600K including premium by Sotheby's on December 14, 2012.
1962 The Missing Jumbo of John Lennon
2015 SOLD for $ 2.4M including premium
The Beatles liked the Gibson ES-175 guitar of their friend Tony Sheridan. John and George desired to own guitars from this US brand. Their choice went on the Jumbo Electric J-160E that was not regularly available in England. This acoustic-electric hybrid model can be used unconnected, which is nice when you are traveling.
The two identical marvels are delivered to them on September 10, 1962 through a specialized shop in Liverpool. These instruments meet their needs and they make a regular use of them for composition and recording, at home and in the studio. Their collaboration is so close that they swap their Gibsons, certainly unknowingly.
A few days after a Christmas show in 1963, John observes that his guitar has left. He will never see it again.
For the last 45 years, a guitarist living in San Diego owned this instrument without identifying its glorious past. In 2014, he realized the likeness of his Gibson with its widely documented twin which had been kept by George. Serial numbers are very close together.
The veins in the wood allow the identification of a guitar with the same certainty as fingerprints for a human. The best expert of equipment used by the Beatles compared the instrument with period photographs. He is formal and admiring : half a century after being pinched, John Lennon's Gibson has resurfaced in its unmodified configuration, like a time capsule.
This historic guitar is estimated $ 600K for sale by Julien's in Beverly Hills on November 7, lot 278.
Its photo in an exhibit at Austin in 2015 was offered to the public domain and is available on Wikimedia:
The two identical marvels are delivered to them on September 10, 1962 through a specialized shop in Liverpool. These instruments meet their needs and they make a regular use of them for composition and recording, at home and in the studio. Their collaboration is so close that they swap their Gibsons, certainly unknowingly.
A few days after a Christmas show in 1963, John observes that his guitar has left. He will never see it again.
For the last 45 years, a guitarist living in San Diego owned this instrument without identifying its glorious past. In 2014, he realized the likeness of his Gibson with its widely documented twin which had been kept by George. Serial numbers are very close together.
The veins in the wood allow the identification of a guitar with the same certainty as fingerprints for a human. The best expert of equipment used by the Beatles compared the instrument with period photographs. He is formal and admiring : half a century after being pinched, John Lennon's Gibson has resurfaced in its unmodified configuration, like a time capsule.
This historic guitar is estimated $ 600K for sale by Julien's in Beverly Hills on November 7, lot 278.
Its photo in an exhibit at Austin in 2015 was offered to the public domain and is available on Wikimedia:
_-_Ladies_and_Gentlemen..._the_Beatles!_exhibit_at_LBJ_Presidential_Library%2C_Austin%2C_TX%2C_2015-06-12_11.37.55.jpg)
1963 Ringo on Drums
2015 SOLD for $ 2.1M including premium
Three days of sales will be needed by Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills to disperse the collection of Ringo Starr and Barbara Bach, from 3 to 5 December. No less than seven drum kits used by the musician with the Beatles or in his subsequent career are offered in this auction.
The Beatles reach the top position in the hit parade in February 1963. They now require the best instruments, not only for guitars. In April, Epstein and Starr choose together a three piece drum kit of Ludwig brand in a London specialized shop.
Ringo takes possession of his new instrument on May 12. The activity of the Beatles is intense and even frantic. Between that date and February 4 of the following year, Ringo uses his Ludwig drums in 200 live performances and 180 studio recordings, covering all titles from this period of great enthusiasm preceding their trip to America.
The Ludwig Oyster Black Pearl kit was retained by Ringo and has not been seen in public for half a century. However, it was used in part in 1969 and 1970 by Paul McCartney when he recorded his first solo albums.
The prestigious drum kit of Ringo Starr is estimated $ 300K, lot 696 for sale on December 4. I invite you to watch the video shared by Julien's.
The Beatles reach the top position in the hit parade in February 1963. They now require the best instruments, not only for guitars. In April, Epstein and Starr choose together a three piece drum kit of Ludwig brand in a London specialized shop.
Ringo takes possession of his new instrument on May 12. The activity of the Beatles is intense and even frantic. Between that date and February 4 of the following year, Ringo uses his Ludwig drums in 200 live performances and 180 studio recordings, covering all titles from this period of great enthusiasm preceding their trip to America.
The Ludwig Oyster Black Pearl kit was retained by Ringo and has not been seen in public for half a century. However, it was used in part in 1969 and 1970 by Paul McCartney when he recorded his first solo albums.
The prestigious drum kit of Ringo Starr is estimated $ 300K, lot 696 for sale on December 4. I invite you to watch the video shared by Julien's.
1973 The Luthier of the Grateful Dead
2017 SOLD for $ 1.9M including premium
Founded in California during the acidic era, the psychedelic band Grateful Dead plays electric music. The group is created and directed by the guitarist Jerry Garcia who needs the best instruments in this technique whose popularity is quite recent.
At the end of the 1960s Doug Irwin is a young biochemist disillusioned by his training. Despite the atmosphere of freedom of that time, everyone must find a job : Doug decides that he will construct electric guitars. After a self-taught training he joins the Alembic company founded in 1969 in the Grateful Dead rehearsal room.
At that time Alembic worked on the electronic processing of sound more than on its creation. In 1971 Doug builds his first electric guitar in his own name in his kitchen and brings it to a specialty shop. Jerry is there : he buys the instrument. This guitar named Eagle (Alembic) was sold for $ 186K including premium by Bonhams on May 8, 2007.
Eagle plays the role of a prototype from which Jerry and Doug embark on a more ambitious project. The result is an asymmetrically necked guitar named Wolf. It is completed in 1973 and Jerry uses it intensively for six years. The next instrument made by Doug for Jerry is named Tiger. Less asymmetrical than Wolf, Tiger innovates in the position of the strings.
In the dispute about the estate of Garcia who died in 1995, Irwin became the owner of Wolf and Tiger which he auctioned through Guernsey's on May 7, 2002. The result, exceptional for electric guitars at that time, was $ 960K including premium for Tiger and $ 790K including premium for Wolf.
Wolf is back at Guernsey's in Brooklyn NY on May 31. This single lot charity sale is organized for the benefit of the Southern Poverty Law Center.
At the end of the 1960s Doug Irwin is a young biochemist disillusioned by his training. Despite the atmosphere of freedom of that time, everyone must find a job : Doug decides that he will construct electric guitars. After a self-taught training he joins the Alembic company founded in 1969 in the Grateful Dead rehearsal room.
At that time Alembic worked on the electronic processing of sound more than on its creation. In 1971 Doug builds his first electric guitar in his own name in his kitchen and brings it to a specialty shop. Jerry is there : he buys the instrument. This guitar named Eagle (Alembic) was sold for $ 186K including premium by Bonhams on May 8, 2007.
Eagle plays the role of a prototype from which Jerry and Doug embark on a more ambitious project. The result is an asymmetrically necked guitar named Wolf. It is completed in 1973 and Jerry uses it intensively for six years. The next instrument made by Doug for Jerry is named Tiger. Less asymmetrical than Wolf, Tiger innovates in the position of the strings.
In the dispute about the estate of Garcia who died in 1995, Irwin became the owner of Wolf and Tiger which he auctioned through Guernsey's on May 7, 2002. The result, exceptional for electric guitars at that time, was $ 960K including premium for Tiger and $ 790K including premium for Wolf.
Wolf is back at Guernsey's in Brooklyn NY on May 31. This single lot charity sale is organized for the benefit of the Southern Poverty Law Center.
