“My ’57 Gretsch was stolen in 1978. Getting that guitar back and playing it so much got me thinking about the other guitars in my possession”: Over 200 of Randy Bachman's iconic guitars are up for auction

Randy Bachman of Bachman & Turner performs on stage at High Voltage Festival in Victoria Park on July 25, 2010 in London, UK. He plays a Gibson Les Paul Standard guitar. .

Randy Bachman's extensive guitar collection is set to be auctioned at New York's Hard Rock Cafe on May 29 and 30. This auction will feature over 200 signature guitars, instruments, and equipment, including Bachman's prized possession - his 1959 Les Paul Standard, the guitar behind The Guess Who's hit American Woman.

In a recent Guitar World interview, Bachman explains why he decided to part with his collection: “The big thing is that my ’57 Gretsch, which was stolen in 1978, was recovered. A guy in Japan had it, and I traded him one of my other guitars to get it back.”