Dusty Hill, John McVie, and Paul McCartney Basses Fetch Six Figures at Christie’s
Last week, we shared the news that several historic basses were once again up for sale as part of the Jim Irsay Collection from Christie’s auctions. Now, the deals are done, and the realized prices have been announced.
ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill‘s sheepskin-covered Dean bass, which he used in the music video for “Legs,” sold for $95,250 – just below the lower estimate of $100,000. Fleetwood Mac bassist John McVie‘s custom fretless Alembic sold for $177,800, which crushed its estimate of $60,000 to $100,000.
Finally, we come to Paul McCartney‘s Yamaha BB-1200 from his Wings years. Irsay had purchased the bass in 2021 for $496,100, making it the most expensive bass ever sold at auction. This go around, it was sold for $228,600. Even though that’s half of its previous price tag, it still ranks among the top 10 most expensive basses ever sold.
The lower price compared to its previous sale may be explained by the difference between a high-profile charity auction and a more traditional sale. Irsay bought it in 2021 through the “Guitar Icons” charity auction benefiting Music Rising. The late Indiana Colts CEO created one of the most recognizable private archives of popular culture, from Muhammad Ali’s boxing robe to Prince’s guitars. He acquired an exorbitant Beatles collection, but one can presume that Irsay accepted such a high price to benefit the charity. This latest purchase also benefits philanthropic causes that Irsay, who died in May 2025, championed.
While the final prices varied, the results reflect a continued appetite among collectors for instruments tied to major moments in rock history. Over the past decade, basses owned by McCartney, Hill, and Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones have crossed the six-figure mark at auction. It signals that the market for historically significant basses continues to mature alongside the better-established guitar market.
Now the question is whether they will be locked into a vault, or played like Jerry Garcia’s Tiger guitar, which sold for $11.5 million.
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
