An instantly recognizable and historically important guitar owned by Dave Davies of The Kinks is being offered in Heritage Auctions’ Musical Instruments Auction on July 19, 2019, in Dallas, Texas.
Davies purchased the 1958 Gibson Flying V Korina solid body electric guitar in June 1965 while The Kinks, one of the most influential British bands since the Beatles and one of the groups credited with helping to launch the British Invasion, was on an American tour. He owned the instrument until 1992 – provenance that is specified in a letter of authenticity that is signed by Davies and is accompanying the guitar in the auction. Davies played the guitar on the television show Shindig in June 1965 and on recordings beginning with ’Till The End Of The Day in November 1965.
Davies is shown playing the guitar on the cover of two Kinks albums – Spotlight on the Kinks and The Kinks Greatest Hits! – copies of which accompany the guitar. Also included is a black and white glossy photograph of Davies playing the guitar, a picture that is signed in silver ink by Davies. The guitar is featured on pages 50 and 51 of Tony Bacon’s Flying V Explorer Firebird – An Odd-Shaped History of Gibson’s Weird Electric Guitars and on page 59 of the Summer 1994 issue of Vintage Guitar Classics.
“This is an extraordinary musical instrument, definitely worth six figures even if it hadn’t been owned and played by someone of the stature of Dave Davies,” Heritage Auctions Vintage Guitars Manager Aaron Piscopo said. “The fact that he bought the guitar and played it in recording sessions, on television and on stage only adds to its incredible appeal and importance, and really makes this a must-have instrument for any collector of music memorabilia and instruments.”
Other top lots in the auction include, but are not limited to a 1932 Martin OM-28 natural acoustic guitar, a rare 1954 Fender Stratocaster Sunburst solid body electric guitar, and a 1955 Gibson Les Paul custom black solid body electric guitar directly from the Dr. George Borst Electric Guitar Collection. Highlights include a 1967 Rickenbacker Bantar Fireglo Electric Banjo and a 1965/1966 Fender Electric XII Candy Apple Red solid body electric guitar immediately identified by collectors as the style of guitar Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page used to record Stairway to Heaven and also was played by Bob Dylan.
