A guitar Kirk Hammett played during Black Sabbath‘s final gig has sold for a staggering $76,800.
The Metallica rocker had 150 of his instruments listed as part of Julien’s Auctions annual Played, Worn and Torn sale, but the silver Gibson SG he used during the late Ozzy Osbourne’s final concert in Birmingham in July proved to be a highlight.
The guitar had been estimated to go for around $4,000-$6,000 but went under the hammer for more than 12 times its asking price.
However, it wasn’t the most expensive of Kurt’s instruments to be sold because a 1985 Gibson Custom Shop Michael Schenker Flying V went for a huge $160,000 and a 1996 ESP Wavecaster with a clear body reached a final selling price of $89,600.
While the auction included items from the likes of Elvis Presley, the Beatles and Bob Dylan, the highest-selling item was a guitar owned by Rolling Stones rocker Keith Richards.
The 1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard – which was signed by the musician – sold for an impressive $192,000.
Kirk’s bandmate, Lars Ulrich, recently reflected on the Back to the Beginning show and how all of the performers were blown away by Black Sabbath.
He told DJ Howard Stern: “All the rest of us were just losing our f****** minds and then they started playing War Pigs with the lights on and the show and air raid sirens and then we were obviously, as fans – and I don’t think I’m speaking out of turn here or being disrespectful – as fans I think there was a sense from all the other musicians and friends of Black Sabbath who were there …
“We were hoping for the best. We wanted it to be the best. We wanted it to be a grand slam, but we didn’t know, because ultimately none of us knew what kind of shape they were in …
“Then Ozzy came in singing and sounded great, hit all the notes and the lyrics and the timings and everybody was like: ‘This is gonna be fine, they’re gonna f******* kill it’.”
Lars went on to admit Ozzy’s subsequent death came as a massive shock, saying: “We were all just so stunned. So sad.
“But at the same time he got to live, to accomplish that concert and that appearance that had been in him since before COVID.
“He got up there, he played … Maybe it was just a load off his shoulders and he got to accomplish what he wanted and maybe he just sort of let go.”