Ace Frehley’s prized 1975 Gibson Les Paul, which was the late KISS legend’s go-to guitar for most of his career, is going up for sale via Julien’s Auctions in May, and is expected to fetch between $400,000 and $600,000.
The “Music Icons” auction, which will be held live on May 29th and 30th from Hard Rock Cafe Times Square in New York City features over 800 items. Online bidding opens April 27th.
As a press release notes, “At the centerpiece of the collection is Ace Frehley’s 1975 Gibson Les Paul, one of the most historically significant guitars in rock and roll. From the very beginning of his career, this instrument was Frehley’s constant companion, accompanying him on stage and in the studio with KISS more than any other guitar in his arsenal.”
Other top items in the auction include Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett’s first “Ouija” ESP Custom guitar ($250k-$350k estimate); the late Stevie Ray Vaughan’s 1969 Guild F-412 from his 1990 MTV Unplugged performance ($300k-$500k estimate); and former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin’s 1987 Gibson HR Fusion 1 Izzy guitar ($30k-$50k estimate).
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Highlighted items from the auction are on display at Hard Rock Cafe Piccadilly Circus through April 13th before traveling to Japan at Hard Rock Cafe Tokyo beginning April 27th. On May 13, items will be displayed at Hard Rock Cafe Times Square, where they will remain open for public viewing until the auction takes place May 29th and 30th.
Registration for the auction, as well as highlights from the collection, can be found at the official Julien’s website.
In recent years, iconic guitars have been breaking records at auction, with Pink Floyd legend David Gilmour’s “Black Strat” setting an all-time high at $14.55 million earlier this month.
