The Players
News and happenings from the world of your favourite guitarists
One of BB King’s Lucille Gibson ES-345 guitars is set to be auctioned alongside other personal items of the late blues legend. The prototype signature model was given to King on his 80th birthday, almost nine years before his death, and is said to have been his main touring guitar in his later years. It goes on sale in Los Angeles at Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills on 21 September with an estimate of between $80,000 to $100,000. A touring van, jewellery and clothing are also among King’s belongings up for sale.
Another icon with a guitar auction looming at Julien’s is the late Steely Dan co-founder Walter Becker. The auction will be held over two days on the 18 and 19 October and will include a wide range of guitars including instruments by Fender, Martin, D’Angelico and Becker’s Sadowsky signature model. One of the most notable guitar for fans will be the 1957 Fender Duo-Sonic, which Becker is pictured with in the liner notes for Steely Dan’s classic 1977 album, Aja. The auction also includes his ’58 and ’59 Fender Precision Basses and a 1928 Martin 00 model, plus amplifiers, speakers and recording gear.
Alice In Chains singer/guitarist William DuVall will release his first solo album on 4 October. One Alone is an all-acoustic record from the former Comes With The Fall frontman that’s billed to be “as sparse and intimate as it gets – part late-night confessional, part living-room concert”.
Guitarist was saddened to hear of the passing of Quicksilver Messenger Service guitarist Gary Duncan, aged 72. As part of the San Francisco band, Duncan played a key role in the San Francisco acid-rock scene alongside Jefferson Airplane and The Grateful Dead.
Tom Morello has confirmed he’s working on a follow-up to his The Atlas Underground album of collaborations. “I’m halfway through it,” he tells us. “A sister record is in the offing and [I’m] hopefully getting new music out, if not the whole record, by the end of the year as I’m planning on doing a US tour in October, for this after we do Prophets [Of Rage] in August. I want to have new songs for that.”
The official Prince store is now making Schecter-made Cloud guitars available for pre-order online for $1,750, shipping in November. The guitars were previously only available to buy in person at the late legend’s Paisley Park studio compound in Minneapolis. Available in white or blue, the Cloud is of set-neck construction and has a mahogany body. The bridge pickup is an active EMG 81, with an EMG SA single coil in the neck. Schecter previously provided repairs for Prince’s original Clouds, as well as building replicas for him to use.