Bill Wyman Breaks Record for Highest Selling Bass Guitar at Auction

Former Rolling Stone Bill Wyman sold several pieces of his gear collection this past weekend for record-breaking prices. Hosted by Julien’s Auctions, the sale had over 1,000 lots from the bassist’s archive ranging from stage-worn costumes to personal items, but two items stood out.

First was Wyman’s 1969 Fender Mustang bass, complete with a competition orange finish. He used it in 1969 and 1970 on the American and European tours. “That was a good bass, because it was the only one I could play because it was a bit smaller than the rest of them,” he said. The instrument is now the highest selling bass of all time with a final price of $384,000. That shatters the previous record of $204,800, which was held by a Hofner bass owned by Paul McCartney.

Next, his 1962 Vox AC30 Normal model sold for $106,250, which broke the record for the highest selling amplifier. Wyman said the amp was a big part of Rolling Stones history as they used it for several applications. Other basses his Travis Bean, a prototype Dan Armstrong bass, a ’60s Framus Star Bass, and more.

Wyman donated a portion of all the proceeds from the auction to benefit the Prince’s Trust, Macmillan Cancer Support, and the Central Caribbean Marine Institute.

See Wyman talking about the pieces in this video: