Paul McCartney, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam and More Auction Guitars, Instruments for Charity

U2’s The Edge and producer Bob Ezrin have pulled together a collection of guitars and other instruments from the personal collections of Paul McCartney, Rush, Radiohead, and Pearl Jam, Ron Wood Green Day, Joan Jett, Joe Walsh, Noel Gallagher, Dave Grohl, Tom Morello, Bruce Springsteen and more, all benefiting Music Rising.

“Guitars Icons: A Musical Instrument Auction to Benefit Music Rising” will take place on Dec. 11 at the Van Eaton Galleries in Los Angeles with bids being accepted online around the event.

Formed in 2005 by Edge and Ezin, Music Rising initially launched to support musicians following Hurricane Katrina and is currently aiding musicians impacted by COVID-19 and Hurricane Ida.

“When we launched Music Rising in 2005 we didn’t have any idea how significant a role the organization would play in helping musicians and music educators for as long as it has,” said Ezrin in a statement. “Guitar Icons: A Musical Instrument Auction to Benefit Music Rising will be our biggest fundraising opportunity this year. We are working closely with the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation in bringing back the bright sounds of the music of New Orleans.”

Part of the collection includes the 2005 Limited Edition Gibson Les Paul The Edge played during “One” on the Joshua Tree tours of 2017 and 2019, along with his Custom Signature Fender Stratocaster used on “Bad” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” U2 bassist Adam Clayton’s Fender Standard Precision bass used on “A Sort of Homecoming,” “Bullet The Blue Sky,” “Running to Stand Still” and “One Tree Hill,” and Bono’s Custom Gibson ES-175 Electric Guitar played throughout the Zoo TV tour in 1992.

Additionally, Music Rising is auctioning Bruce Springsteen’s signed Americana Original ‘50s Fender Telecaster, a custom “Victoria” Les Paul Goldtop Model electric guitar signed by Slash, a Yamaha BB-1200 electric bass guitar that McCartney played on Wings tours in the late 1970s, an autographed Yamaha Motif-8 Keyboard that Elton John played for nearly a decade, Gallagher’s Telecaster used with the High Flying Birds, the Fender Stratocaster that Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder smashed onstage at Wrigley Field in 2018, three guitars used by Lou Reed, and Alex Lifeson’s Signature Hughes & Kettner RUSH Amp and Cabinet Half Stack used on Rush’s 40th-anniversary tour.

Music Rising also launched a new apparel collection, featuring limited-edition T-shirts, hoodies, caps, and totes, which also benefit the charity.

“The music of New Orleans has influenced various styles of music borrowed from early traditions,” said The Edge in a statement. “It is the birthplace of jazz and represents a musical culture which bears great significance to most every genre today.  I can’t imagine what it would feel like to lose my ability to do what I love, making music. Unfortunately, there are many musicians and crew members who continue to struggle since the pandemic. If this multigenerational chain is broken, we lose more than just a few concerts we lose an entire culture that stretches back centuries.”

He added, “Some of the world’s greatest musicians and friends of Music Rising have generously donated their personal instruments to raise money for Music Rising. We hope you have a chance to bid on one or more of the beautiful instruments in the auction. The monies raised goes to musicians and crew.”

Charity Guitars (Photo: Music Rising)