Marty Friedman’s rare 1985 Jackson Kelly San Dimas is up for sale – and it could go for six figures
Marty Friedman‘s rare 1985 Jackson Kelly San Dimas is currently up for sale.
The guitar can be heard on Megadeth‘s iconic albums Rust In Peace and Countdown To Extinction, released in 1990 and 1992 respectively. It is also reportedly one of the first 500 guitars Jackson ever built and its rarity means it could potentially sell for up to $125,000.
READ MORE: Marty Friedman: “Anyone can play; there’s millions of great players. What separates someone from others is the feeling the audience gets when they listen”
Away from Megadeth, Friedman also used the guitar on Cacophony’s Speed Metal Symphony (1987) and Go Off! (1988), alongside his solo albums Dragon’s Kiss (1988) and Scenes (1992).
“I purchased it in Hawaii around 1985 while I was in the band Hawaii,” Friedman says in the certificate of authenticity. “It originally had a black-and-white tiger-striped graphic, along with two humbuckers and 2 tone pots. When I joined Megadeth, it was re-painted black and converted into a single humbucker with one volume pot.
Credit: Reverb
“I did several Hawaii recordings and concerts with it. At one time, it even had a flame thrower on the headstock. This was my #2 touring guitar for most of my Megadeth years. Like Kelly #1 this guitar was featured in many ’90s magazines, Jackson catalogs, and advertisements.”
Given its age, the guitar is as roadworn as you can expect, showing “all the signs of a well-loved, heavily played instrument” and “scratches, dings, chips, cracks, and faded finishes”. Nonetheless, it still possesses a tone that is “pure Marty Friedman, with those mids that cut through any mix”. It’s ready to play from the off, having already been set up with Friedman-preferred 10-46 strings.
Credit: Reverb
The rare Jackson Kelly San Dimas is being sold by his longtime manager who bought it in a 2011 eBay auction benefiting the Jason Becker Special Needs Trust and the ALS Therapy Development Institute.
Per the certificate of authenticity, the guitar has been kept in climate-controlled storage and maintained by a top luthiers since Friedman’s time with Megadeth.
The sale is still live on Reverb and bids are still being considered.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
