This March Heritage Auctions will be presenting for sale the only fully documented Bob Dylan Guitar offered for many years. The 1965 Fender XII String, given by Fender to Bob Dylan, was featured on the iconic album Blonde on Blonde.
This guitar was supplied to Dylan around the same time as the Iconic Newport Stratocaster and bears the same ‘Ashes and Sands Inc’ stencil on the case. It comes with signed documentation from Bob Dylan confirming his ownership and use of the instrument.
During the initial sessions for Blonde on Blonde in late 196, Dylan played a host of Fenders, including a Stratocaster and a Fender Electric XII. While many of the guitars are recognised as production models, his Electric XII is a rare specimen. It features a combination of the sunburst finish with original pearloid guard and amplifier-style knobs. Only a handful of these specific instruments were ever produced due to the pickguard being quickly changed to the common tortoiseshell pickguard. As this guitar was designed in 1965 with Folk and Rock artists in mind, naturally one was given to Dylan.
Aside from the aforementioned sunburst finish, pearloid guard, and amplifier-style knobs, the guitar features an alder body, rosewood fingerboard, no neck stamp, and includes the original black tolex case with a green paint stencil across the top reading ‘Property of Ashes & Sand Inc.’, the name of Dylan’s original touring company, which appeared on the famous Newport Stratocaster case sold previously for over $1m.
Info: https://entertainment.ha.com/itm/musical-instruments/electric-guitars/a/7198-89055.s