top 10 pieces:
1 - JIMI HENDRIX - SILK SHIRT
This is one of the best pieces of Hendrix wardrobe we own, and we own a lot. Jimi wore this Asian-style shirt on stage many times in ’67 – at the Hollywood Bowl on August 18th, the Fifth Dimension club in Michigan on August 15th, and at the Saville Theater in London on August 27th. Jimi was scheduled to do two shows at the Saville that night, but the second was canceled due to the death of Beatles manager (and Saville owner) Brian Epstein.
2 - FRANK SINATRA - GOLD MICROPHONE
When you’re the mega-iconic Chairman of the Board, a regular microphone will never suffice to amplify your dulcet tones. That’s why Sinatra used this extra-fancy, gold-plated AKG microphone for his live performances. It’s even inscribed with his name – as if anyone could ever doubt whose mic this was.
3 - MARC BOLAN - T REX - VELENO GUITAR
This guitar is an absolutely perfect piece of memorabilia. It’s rare, beautiful, and it belonged to a legend. This is a Veleno Original built for Marc Bolan around 1970 and is one of the very first John Veleno ever made. These guitars are constructed entirely out of aluminum and are amazing pieces of functional art. Most examples have humbucking pickups, but Bolan’s has DeArmond "Dynasonic" single coils - like a Gretsch. We’ve never seen another Veleno with this pickup configuration. John Veleno made less than 200 of these in his career and the vast majority of them wound up in the hands of legendary players. Check out where John engraved Bolan’s name into the face of the guitar – and misspelled his first name! We’ve played more incredible vintage guitars than most people will ever see, but this one stands out as truly special.
4 - ALICE COOPER - DESK FROM THE COVER OF SCHOOL'S OUT
How many shock-rock stars owe their entire personas to Alice Cooper? All of them. Alice’s infamous stage show is a direct link from vaudeville to the megawatt extravaganzas of today. A deeply intelligent artist, Alice saw the need for higher entertainment value in rock and worked tirelessly to provide it. Before MTV, Alice’s concerts were one of the only ways to see rock music expressed conceptually. That’s a pretty deep legacy for one man with a boa constrictor. This unique school desk is from the cover of School’s Out. Robert Offer photographed the desk for the album, and it features carved initials from each band member.
5 - BRIAN MAY - QUEEN - GUILD GUITAR
Brian May may be the most distinctive-sounding guitarist in rock history. With one note, you just know it’s Brian. Though his tone is in his hands, not his gear, the utterly unique guitar he’s used throughout Queen’s career is a major factor in the coveted “Brain May sound.” In the mid ’60s, Brian and his father hand-built the “Red Special” guitar from a 100-year old antique oak fireplace hearth. It took around two years to build. The hardware and electronics were all fabricated or modified by Brian himself. Very few official replicas exist. This Guild version was built in the mid-’80s. Brian used it to record the song “One Vision” and as a concert backup. A very special piece.
6 - LIBERACE - ACUNA JACKET
Wayne Newton may beg to differ, but no one personifies Las Vegas culture – or couture – more than Liberace. This jacket was made by Frank Acuna – a clothier who made many Liberace outfits in the ’60s and ’70s.
7 - EDDIE VAN HALEN - CHARVEL GUITAR
This Charvel EVH guitar was played onstage by the master himself in San Juan, Puerto Rico on September 13, 2004. It was custom-built for Eddie and he did the striping personally.
8 - JOHN LENNON - VOX GUITAR STRAP
When the Beatles started to become a worldwide phenomenon, anything associated with the group was a sure-fire money maker. That’s why legendary British equipment manufacturer, Vox, gave the lads anything they asked for. They were in a bind, however, when John requested a genuine snakeskin guitar strap (though common today, such a thing was unheard of in ’64). That’s why Vox came up with the “Python” model. It’s interlocking metal scales are, obviously, snakeskin inspired. John used this strap throughout the Beatles’ years on the road. It’s pretty amazing how “heavy metal”-looking this thing is for an early Beatles piece. Vox sold tons of these expensive straps to Beatles fans all over the world and it’s still manufactured to this day.
9 - STEVE VAI - IBANEZ TRIPLE NECK GUITAR
As if we needed further proof that Steve Vai is an alien. How can a human play two opposing guitar necks simultaneously? It just ain’t fair to us mortals (attention guitar nerds: we know that Michael Angelo Batio did this before Vai, but he’s an alien, too). Steve put a lot of miles on this crazy axe. He debuted it in David Lee Roth’s 1988 video “Just Like Paradise” and used it with both Whitesnake and G3. He autographed it at the Hard Rock in Orlando when he was appearing with Zappa Plays Zappa in ’07.
10 - SAMMY DAVIS JR. - TUXEDO
This tuxedo was made for the Candy Man himself, Sammy Davis Jr., in 1982. Sammy was cooler than any rock star, smoother than a silk suit, and more talented than you. Davis was a headliner at The Frontier Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada for many years yet was required to accept accommodations in a rooming house on the west side of the city, rather than reside with his peers in the hotels, as were all black performers in the 1950s. For example, no stage dressing rooms were provided for black performers, so they were required to wait outside by the swimming pool between acts. During his early years in Las Vegas, he and other African-American artists like Nat King Cole and Count Basie could entertain on the stage, but often could not reside at the hotels where they performed. Davis refused to work at venues which would practice racial segregation. His demands eventually led to the integration of Miami Beach nightclubs and Las Vegas casinos. Sammy was particularly proud of this accomplishment.
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