“A lot of them need to be played. They have souls”: One of California’s top music entrepreneurs has left behind one of the finest vintage guitar collections we’ve ever seen

As the owner of Skip's Music, a renowned music store in Sacramento, California, the late entrepreneur and local music legend Arthur “Skip” Maggiora amassed a treasure trove of vintage guitars, including countless instruments played by top-tier talents such as Eddie Van Halen and Gene Simmons.

Now, his extensive guitar collection – tallying up to around 150 instruments – will be sold in a live charity auction beginning December 17. Maggiora passed away last year after a long battle with kidney disease. In alignment with his vision, all proceeds from the auction will benefit music and youth charities.