2011.02.15 - Reuters - Rocker Slash To Sell Car, Guitars In Auction

Rocker Slash to sell car, guitars in auction

By Dean Goodman

(Reuters) - Who wants to dress in Slash's clothes, play his guitars and drive his pristine Corvette Stingray?

The former Guns N' Roses guitarist has teamed up with a Beverly Hills auction house to sell a wide range of personal property to fans and collectors next month.

Buyers with a passion for skulls and dinosaurs will be in luck, along with those whose living rooms would sparkle with exotic Southeast Asian furniture.

A sizable share of the proceeds from the March 26 sale will go to charity, according to Julien's Auctions, which specializes in selling entertainment memorabilia.

Auctioneer Darren Julien said he expected most of the items to end up overseas, particularly in Japan and other Asian markets where Guns N' Roses are still revered.

One of the perils of being a successful rock star for more than 20 years is that money buys a lot of clutter.

"I have a bad habit of collecting stuff that I don't necessarily use," Slash told Reuters, calling from a tour bus en route to a show in Oklahoma.

But a recent house move provided the 45-year-old rocker and his wife, Perla, with the perfect excuse to open their storage closets to fans and to boost the coffers of a local charity for abused and homeless adolescents.

"MONSTER OF A CAR"

The crown jewel is a 1966 Corvette Stingray, estimated to sell for at least $90,000 to $100,000, and described by Slash as "a monster of a car."

It was the toughest item to let go of, because it was the first good car he ever bought just as Guns N' Roses were becoming big stars in the late 1980s, and it is largely in original condition. Fluffy dice are included.

But the car has been sitting in storage while Slash drives new Aston Martins and his wife ferries their two young sons in an SUV. "I know that somebody would love to have that car because muscle cars are very, very popular," he said.

He estimates he has about 100 guitars, and will sell 14 of them at the auction. Among them is a Guild acoustic on which he recorded the band's early ballad "Patience." Also on the block are various custom and one-of-a-kind Telecaster, Stratocaster, Sanchez, Epiphone and B.C. Rich models.

Jackets, T-shirts and jewelry -- with skull motifs in abundance -- are going on sale, and two of Slash's trademark top hats.

And then there are the model dinosaurs, which would thrill any 6-year-old boy and evidently did the same to an adult rock star.

"My house was completely immersed in prehistoric animal lore," when he started dating his wife, Slash said. But she married him anyway.

https://web.archive.org/web/20140921232520/http://www.reuters.com:80/article/2011/02/15/us-slash-idUSTRE71E1ZL20110215

Blabbermouth, February 15, 2011:
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Slash: More Auction Details Revealed

Julien's Auctions, the world's premiere entertainment memorabilia auction house located in Beverly Hills, proudly announces the sale of exclusive property from legendary guitarist and musician Slash. Included in the auction sale are some of the iconic, Grammy-winning rock guitarist and songwriter's famous guitars, memorabilia, vehicles and personal furniture and décor from his Hollywood Hills residence. This is the first time such items from Slash's personal collection have been offered globally for auction.

Highlights from the sale include guitars from Slash's fabled personal collection, including a one of a kind custom Stravinski Fender Stratocaster (Est: $3,000-5,000), a B.C. Rich Red Mockingbird guitar (Est: $2,000-4,000), and two versions of Slash's very own Gibson and Epiphone Slash Les Paul signature model guitars in Tobacco Sunburst (Est: $4,000-6,000).

Clothing and accessories highlights include a stage-worn Chrome Hearts leather top hat ($1,000-2,000), various custom Marc Vachon leather motorcycle jackets, including one decorated in a Velvet Revolver "Libertad" theme (Est $1,000-2,000), performance worn t-shirts from all phases of Slash's life and career (multiple lots, Est $600-800), and a leather Chrome Hearts suit (Est: $2,000-3,000), Ray-Ban large aviator sunglasses (Est $200-300), a custom Rockin' Couture Guns N' Roses belt (Est $300-500), and a custom skull and crossbones in a top-hat necklace (Est: $600-800)

Personal jewelry worn by Slash, one of the world's most recognizable rock performers, featured in this sale include a diamond encrusted guitar pendant (Est: $12,000-18,000), a Slash Guns N' Roses silver cuff (Est: 600-800), a sterling skull link necklace (Est $1,000-2,000), and a Cartier Roadstar wristwatch (Est: $4,000-6,000).

The auction will also feature the eclectic residential décor including a number of exotic Southeast Asian furniture items, such as the carved polychrome painted and gilded armoire (est. $400-600), as well as contemporary pieces including a pair of monumental red suede conversation sofas (Est: $3,000-4,000), accented by lots that also include a pair of silver and black beaded skull pillows (Est: $200-300). Other distinctive items offered in the sale include a Velvet Revolver Nolde Pottery Skull (Est: $400-600), an Asian-carved wooden cobra statue (Est: $400-600), and a large collection of model dinosaurs, some crafted by noted Paleo-sculptors Bob Morales and Michael Trcic, and a group featuring Pterodactyls (Est: $1000-2000).

Ever the archetypal rock star and ranked as one of the world's best guitar players of all time, Slash has spent years traveling the world and collecting various items which will now come to the auction block for the very first time. Some of his eclectic collection tells the story of Slash's love of film, television and fast cars. Offered are items which include the bench from the "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" movie set (Est: $6,000-8,000), a "South Park" pinball machine (Est: $2,500-3,500), a 2007 Harley Davidson V-Rod VRSCAW twin racing street custom cruiser (Est: $8,000-10,000), and the star of the show is his 1966 Corvette equipped with a big block 427 cubic inch V-8 engine with 435 horsepower, 4-speed manual transmission (Est: $90,000-$100,000).

From his days in Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver and his most recent critically acclaimed solo album project "Slash", the top-selling musician has left his mark on rock and roll. He's appeared on numerous television programs, continues to tour, is a playable character in the blockbuster "Guitar Hero" video game and has won accolades as the world's best guitarist repeatedly over the years. His collection, being offered in this exclusive auction, will give the world a once-in-a-lifetime glimpse into the often secret world of a rock star's life and travels and a portion of the proceeds benefits Los Angeles Youth Network in which Slash is very active.

The exhibition for the collection of Slash and Rock Legends for Julien's Auctions, Beverly Hills will be designed by Rush Jenkins and KlausBaer of WRJ Design Associates, who have designed exhibitions for The Collection of Michael Jackson, The Estate of Johnny Cash, The Collection of Cher and more recently The Collection of Barbra Streisand.

https://archive.blabbermouth.net/news/slash-more-auction-details-revealed/

Video from Julien's Auctions, March 26, 2011, containing a short interview with Slash at the auction (which took place on the same date):



Excerpts from The Pulse Of Radio/Blabbermouth:
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According to The Pulse Of Radio, Velvet Revolver and ex-Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash auctioned off a collection of his personal belongings on Saturday (March 26) in Beverly Hills. Among the items that went on the block were a Corvette, a motorcycle, pieces of furniture, a lot of clothing and even some model dinosaurs. Slash explained about the auction, "This is for the Los Angeles Youth Network, an organization that takes in wayward youths. When I say wayward, I mean homeless, kids with drug problems, any kid that's sort of stranded."

The guitarist revealed why he decided to auction off the stuff now, explaining, "We moved into a new house and we had all this stuff in storage. And we're like, 'This doesn't get used, so an auction would be really, really cool. Let's give it away to charity and just let some of this stuff go.' It was definitely an exercise in tearing yourself away from things."

Slash added that the Corvette, which comes with a matching red and black Gibson Les Paul guitar, was "the hardest thing for me to let go."

Among the other items up for grabs are a diamond-encrusted guitar pendant worth $20,000, along with gifts from the Osbournes and Charlie Sheen.

Slash hinted that the history of some of the items was "debaucherous," saying that "the stuff that's in here has a lot of history that couldn't possibly be detailed in the catalog."