Frank Zappa’s prized “Baby Snakes” SG is headed to auction – and could fetch $500,000
Frank Zappa’s legendary “Baby Snakes” SG – a heavily modded Gibson SG copy used extensively by the prog hero both onstage and in the studio – is headed to auction, and could fetch up to $500,000, according to some estimates.
Zappa first acquired the guitar from 19-year-old luthiery student Bart Nagel in July 1974, backstage at a show in Phoenix, Arizona. Prior to the sale, Nagel had replaced its neck for a three-piece mahogany neck, topped with a 23-fret ebony fingerboard with custom inlays.
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After purchasing the guitar, Zappa gave it to luthier Rex Bogue for a series of mods to its electronics, like a custom onboard preamp with an 18dB boost and phase switching for a wider array of available tones.
According to Heritage Auctions, the auctioneer in charge of the lot, the guitar was used both onstage and in the studio, with one notable appearance being Frank Zappa’s Mike Douglas Show performance in 1976.
Bidding for the guitar will start at $300,000 on 5 December, and auctioneers are expecting the six-string to sell for a whopping half a million dollars.
“Hitting the market for the very first time, the ‘Baby Snakes’ SG is a true artifact of musical genius,” says Aaron Piscopo, Heritage’s Director of Vintage Guitars & Musical Instruments. “This guitar embodies the boundless intelligence, innovation, and creativity that defined Zappa’s career.”
“Deeply modified to suit Zappa’s avant-garde sonic explorations, the ‘Baby Snakes’ guitar was more than an instrument – it was a vehicle for innovation, experimentation, and artistic rebellion,” adds Heritage Auctions.
“With its ornate aesthetics, 23-fret neck, onboard preamp, and signature tone-shaping electronics, this is the guitar that helped define Zappa’s post-Mothers live sound.”
Learn more about Frank Zappa’s “Baby Snakes” SG at Heritage Auctions.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
