Lou Reed

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.

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 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.

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.”

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 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.

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.

It comes in a hard shell case that has moderate surface wear throughout from use, and is coded “19.”

Ronnie Wood has played in some of the most influential rock groups of all time and guested with a who’s who of British music. At the same time, he’s enjoyed a remarkable parallel career as a highly regarded artist and, as a natural raconteur, has won a record three prestigious Sony Radio Personality awards.

Ronnie embarked on his musical career when he joined local outfit The Birds. The year 1967 marked a career milestone when Ronnie joined the Jeff Beck Group as bassist. With frontman Rod Stewart’s raw vocals, blues maverick Beck’s blazing guitar work and Ron’s instinctive bass lines, the Jeff Beck Group would write the blueprint for British hard rock.

Despite an intense musical chemistry, band tensions often ran high and Ron briefly jumped ship to cult mod band, the Creation. Inevitably, the Jeff Beck Group would split for good in 1969 – just two weeks prior to a slot at Woodstock.

Shortly, after the departure of singer, Steve Marriott, the remaining three members of the Small Faces approached Ronnie and Rod with the offer of starting a new band. Renaming themselves the Faces, the band would inject a buccaneering rock-and-roll spirit into a dreary music scene, drawing huge audiences for their rollicking live shows and influencing a generation of punk musicians waiting in the wings.

Ronnie also released his own solo efforts during this time, I’ve Got My Own Album To Do (1974) and Now Look (1975). In 1975, a chance encounter with Mick Jagger at a party would lead to Ronnie finally landing his dream job as the Rolling Stones’ guitarist.

With his musical versatility and bonhomie, Ron proved a natural fit for the group. Keith Richards best describes his and Ron’s bluesy guitar interplay as, “the

ancient art of weaving.” Even while a member of the Stones, Ronnie has continued to perform with a string of musical legends, ranging from Dylan to Bo Diddley.

He formed the super-group the New Barbarians, featuring Keith Richards, former Faces keyboardist Ian McLagan, bassist Stanley Clarke, the Stones’ saxophonist Bobby Keys and drummer Joseph Zigaboo Modeliste from the Meters. He has also released a string of well-received solo albums.

Outside of his musical pursuits, Ronnie’s passion for painting is undiminished and he continues to be an ever-indemand artist. It’s not just in the art studio where Ronnie is creating new work. His album Mr. Luck – A Tribute to Jimmy Reed: Live at The Royal Albert Hall, was released on 17th September 2021. Ronnie is back on the road with the Rolling Stones, continuing their mega No Filter tour across North America, and fans will be delighted to hear we can expect some exciting news from the Faces soon.