The guitars and basses acquired by Jason Momoa during the making of his Max show On The Roam are going under the hammer as part of Julien’s Auctions' forthcoming Music Icons sale.
The Hollywood actor may be best known for his onscreen roles, but he has built a reputation in music circles as an enthusiastic guitar collector (he’s the proud owner of the first Martin D-28, among several other rarities).
His show On The Roam is essentially an excellent excuse for Momoa to tour the US, meeting the craftspeople behind some of his favorite inventions – from motorbikes to electric guitars and custom basses.
The nine instruments that are headed to auction are therefore all relatively recent builds, but showcase some of the finest US luthiery out there.
There are three guitars a-piece from the Gibson and Fender Custom Shops. From the Fender stable are vintage correct recreations of a 1954 Stratocaster, a Nocaster, and a 1951 Esquire – all of which have been relic’d by the firm and built specifically for the auction.
On the Gibson side, meanwhile, Momoa has procured Custom Shop recreations of Billy Gibbons' Pearly Gates Les Paul, alongside Slash’s Jessica and AFD models (based on the GN’R man’s go-to late ’80s Gibson stage guitar and the Kris Derrig replica that he used on Appetite for Destruction, respectively).
Both the Slash Jessica and Gibbons Pearly Gates models have been signed by their signature namesakes.
Currently, the most valuable model in the auction is the Pachyderm bass guitar built by Dan Maloney – as used by Primus bassist Les Claypool. As the Julien’s Auctions listing notes, “the bass has been given the nickname ‘Momoa's Koa’ by the luthiers for its exceptionally figured top made of wood found only in Hawaii.”
For our money, the best value item currently looks to be the Carl Thompson bass – another luthier famed for his collaborations with Les Claypool [and the creator of the first six string bass and set-neck heel block design – Ed].
That has a current bid of $2,000, but – given Thompson’s builds normally go for $5,000+ and have a long waiting list, to boot – it’s looking like a steal. We imagine that won’t stay the case for long, though – especially now we’ve written about it on the internet.
Still, it’s all for a good cause, with the proceeds going to an array of charities, including MusiCares, the Fender Play Foundation, Make A Wish, and St. Judes Children's Research Hospital.
For more information on all of the lots in the forthcoming Music Icons sale – including John Lennon’s Help! acoustic – head to Julien’s Auctions.
