Lot 28. Lou Reed’s Honey Blonde Danny Gatton Fender Telecaster. Lou Reed’s tour-played Fender Custom Shop honey blonde Danny Gatton Telecaster. The guitar features a pair of Joe Barden “hot rail” humbucking pickups and a specially shaped maple neck. The bridge is stamped with the serial number “DG0284.” Famous for their clear tones and ultra high-end clarity, Reed typically had Telecasters in his arsenal, favoring custom models as his career progressed. This particular honey blonde Gatton with its black pick guard can be seen in the video of the 1993 Velvet Underground reunion tour, played by Reed on classics like Pale Blue Eyes and I’ll Be Your Mirror.
Lot 29. Lou Reed’s Blue Sadowsky Bass. Lou Reed’s custom electric bass guitar made by Roger Sadowsky of New York. Reed is known to have played this bass on stage for the song “Guilty” in early 2006, as attested to by Reed’s longtime guitar tech, Stewart Hurwood.
The Telecaster continued on the road for the Ecstasy tour of 2000 and NYC Man in 2003, last appearing in Reed’s road repertoire in 2005-06.
The bass features an offset-waist body shape, two Jazz Bass-style pickups, unbound rosewood fingerboard, and a blue-grey metallic finish. The bass measures approximately 46” long and is in very good performance-used condition.
The guitar shows wear from use to the pickguard, oxidation to the control plate and head plate, tarnish to the tuning pegs and some loss and cracking to the finish on the neck and headstock. The top edge of the neck has embedded CZ studs corresponding to the inlaid dots on the fretboard. The first stud is absent.
There is minor surface wear throughout from use, including scuffs, scratches, some tarnishing to the metal tuners, and general handling wear. Small strips of colored tape were applied near the control knobs and on the neck to aid Reed in his performances. There are small felt pen marks at the base of one control knob.
Also included is a Fender tweed over wood hard case with leatherette accents. A piece of gaff tape on the case is marked in pen, “Main.”
It comes in a hard shell case that has moderate surface wear throughout from use, and is coded “19.”
Opening Bid: $4,000
Opening Bid: $3,000
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