With a fabulous collection of the late Bernie Marsden’s guitars, amps and other highly collectable music gear going under the auctioneer’s hammer on 11 June, we were thrilled to have the chance of a sneak preview
If you’re a fan of the late Bernie Marsden, then Gardiner Houlgate Auction Rooms in Corsham, Wiltshire is the place to be on 11 June. With over 250 lots comprising everything from high-end electrics and amps to pickups, prints, posters and other assorted paraphernalia, there’s a chance for everyone to snag something from the collection. It’s not all upper-tier equipment, either. On the contrary, alongside the vintage Gibson and posh PRS guitars there’s humbler fare on offer, including several PRS SEs and the Fender Squier Stratocaster you see here, for instance.
When we were given the chance to have a look around the warehouse-sized storage facility that is currently the home of the collection at Gardiner Houlgate, we were spoilt for choice. Eventually, after opening many cases, we settled on amere tip of the iceberg selection. We also took the advantage of sitting down with Luke Hobbs, the auction house’s head of the guitar department, auctioneer and valuer, for additional insight into some of the amazing gear on offer.
1988 Korean Squier Stratocaster
When Bernie went into the studio to record his 2005 Stacks album, he went armed with awhole host of guitars –both vintage and modern –but ended up using this humble Squier for around 95 per cent of the sessions. Reputedly costing him an equally humble £125, Bernie is on record as saying that he found the Squier in a local music shop and picked it up because he liked the colour and that it turned out to be one of the best Strats he’s ever played.
Luke Hobbs takes up the story: “I think, in the auction, it’s almost my favourite guitar, personally, because of the story that it’s got with it,” he smiles. “Bernie turns up with this huge arsenal of guitars and that’s the one he ends up recording most of the album on. And he had some phenomenal guitars to choose from. We all know how much of agood storyteller Bernie was, one of the greatest storytellers in rock ’n’ roll, really, and that’s one of them that features in his book, Tales Of Tone And Volume [Rufus Books, 2018]. It just goes to show how good these –what are considered budget, low-value Strats – can be. And I think now is the time to buy them because they are still obtainable. I think these Japaneseand Korean-made [Strats] from the late 80s, early 90s will be the next ones that will start creeping up to mid ‐hundred s‐plus guitars in the future.”
2000 John Cruz Masterbuilt Rory Gallagher Stratocaster
An interesting entry into the auction because this John Cruz Masterbuilt Strat predates the team-built Fender Rory Gallagher signature m
