The Edge has dug deep into his electric guitar collection to donate one of his out of production – and ergo super collectible – signature Stratocasters for a charity auction raising money for critical healthcare services in Los Angeles.
A longtime supporter of the Venice Family Clinic, the Edge will see his guitar sold alongside a trio of UAFX’s MusicRadar-approved amp emulator pedals, with the lot expected to raise upwards of $75,000. The bidding currently stands at $30,000 and closes tomorrow, 11 May.
Launched in 2016, the Edge’s signature Strat was based on his 1973 black Strat but refreshed with a number of modern updates. The Edge did not want to create a replica, and yet, with that headstock size, it nailed the look, and it would nail the tones, too.
It was wired up with a pair of Fender Custom Shop Fat ‘50s single-coil electric guitar pickups at the middle and neck positions, with a DiMarzio FS-1 at the bridge, just like the Edge’s original.
In short, it was a crowd-pleaser, and sold like hot cakes, with Noel Gallagher famously among its fans. Now discontinued, you’ll be hard pressed to find one anyway.
This one is being sold with its original hardshell guitar case. The Edge has signed the back of the headstock, and if there’s any wear and tear on it then it is the sort of wear that adds value to the instrument because it will be from the Edge playing the guitar. This was one he used at home and in the studio.
The UAFX Amp Emulation pedals are not to be sniffed at either. This is serious kit. They include the Dream ’65 Reverb Amplifier, Ruby ’63 Top Boost Amplifier, Woodrow ’55 Instrument Amplifier, and altogether that bundle would set you back $1,200 new.
And if you’re looking to put together a rig for replicating the Edge’s tones then you can put that Vox AC30 tube amp back in the loft because he recently swapped to UAFX for his live sounds at the Irish rock legends’ residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
“For various reasons at the Sphere I decided to switch from amplifiers to digital amp emulators,” the Edge told MusicRadar in November 2023. “When you introduce radio leads and all the electronics involved it's never the same as a simple guitar into amp tone so it’s a case of high-level complexity to make it sound simple.”
The Edge’s patronage of the UAFX line is quite the endorsement. There were surely high-fives and fist bumps at the Universal Audio HQ when the news broke that he was using them, but outwardly the company was keeping it cool, keeping it together.
“Edge has bought most/all of our pedals,” it said in a statement. “He’s also shared his feelings with us directly, but we are not using it to promote specifically, out of respect for him.”
You can check out this listing and more at the Venice Family Clinic auction.
