Kirk Hammett is auctioning his silver Gibson CEO4 SG from Black Sabbath’s farewell show – plus more than 150 guitars from his collection
Remember that silver Gibson SG Kirk Hammett mysteriously pulled out during Black Sabbath’s farewell show earlier this year? The one that had Metallica fans scouring forums trying to identify it? That very guitar – built by Gibson CEO Cesar Gueikian himself – is officially heading to auction, and it’s bringing more than 150 of Hammett’s personal guitars and memorabilia along for the ride.
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Hammett, who famously rotates through an enviable lineup of electrics, surprised fans during Back to the Beginning when he appeared onstage wielding an unfamiliar silver SG. He used it for one of Metallica’s two Sabbath covers that night – Hole in the Sky from 1975’s Sabotage.
The mystery was soon solved: the guitar was CEO4, a one-of-a-kind instrument crafted by Gueikian as part of his ‘CEO series’ of personal builds. At the time, Gueikian revealed that the SG would be auctioned in support of Gibson Gives, Gibson’s charitable foundation.
Credit: Julien’s Auctions
Now, that promise is being fulfilled. CEO4 will go under the hammer as part of Julien’s Auctions’ Played, Worn & Torn event on 20–21 November, joining more than 150 guitars, awards, and stage-played instruments from Hammett’s own collection.
Credit: Julien’s Auctions
While CEO4 – and its connection to Ozzy Osbourne’s last show – will likely seal the spotlight, the sale is stacked with deep cuts for serious collectors as well. Highlights include the Lux Æterna Black Metal guitar (seen in the song’s music video, complete with Hammett’s hand-carved “X”), a 1985 Gibson Custom Shop Michael Schenker Flying V owned and played live by the guitarist in the late 2000s, and a liquid-filled, clear Lucite 1996 ESP Wavecaster from Metallica’s Load and Reload tours. Also going under the hammer is Hammett’s 2006 Washburn Custom Shop X Series guitar, decked out with The Bride of Frankenstein artwork.
Credit: Julien’s Auctions
Other artists contributing to the sale include Mötley Crüe’s Tommy Lee and Adam Clayton of U2, with proceeds benefiting charities like MusiCares, Teenage Cancer America, Gibson Gives, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Check out the full collection at Julien’s Auctions.
Elsewhere, Kirk Hammett recently partnered with Gibson to release the Raven, something of an evil-looking take on Gibson’s classic Hummingbird design.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
