A Foo Fighters guitar played by rock icon Dave Grohl in one of the US rock band’s first hit videos is to go on sale.
The Gretsch White Falcon guitar was originally owned by the band’s rhythm guitarist Pat Smear – and was played by frontman Grohl, now 53, in the 1997 music video for Monkey Wrench.
It was also widely used on their second album The Colour And The Shape, which includes the hit Everlong, released that year.
The instrument is expected to fetch between £15,000 and £30,000 when auctioned at Wiltshire-based specialist music auctioneers Gardiner Houlgate on 7 September.
A Polaroid photograph of Hollywood actress Drew Barrymore playing the guitar, taken by Smear, will be sold along with it.
Auctioneer Luke Hobbs said: “This a very exciting guitar as it’s one of the few owned by Foo Fighters, arguably the biggest current rock band on Earth, ever to come to public auction.
“Monkey Wrench was the band’s breakthrough single and also the first to feature drummer Taylor Hawkins, who died tragically this March.
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“I’m expecting interest from around the world. The fact that it features so prominently in the band’s iconic Monkey Wrench video makes it all the more attractive to collectors and fans.”
The White Falcon is being sold by a private collector.
Smear, who also played as the on-tour rhythm guitarist with Grohl’s previous band Nirvana, bought the guitar in 1996.
In a written provenance statement, the 63-year-old musician revealed that he wanted to own a White Falcon after seeing one of the instruments played by the British new wave band Bow Wow Wow.
Back in June, the Foo Fighters announced two “all-star” tribute gigs in London and LA in memory of drummer Taylor Hawkins following his death.
Hawkins, 50, had been with the rest of the band in the Colombian capital of Bogota when he died in March ahead of a planned festival performance.
The shows will take place at London’s Wembley Stadium on 3 September and LA’s Kia Forum on 27 September, with line-up details to be announced shortly.
