Bob Marley’s Washburn 22- Series Hawk guitar has been ranked as the fifth most expensive guitar on earth.
The guitar, which has been valued at US$1.2 million, is classified as a national asset by the Government of Jamaica and is said to be one of only seven known guitars owned by the Reggae icon. The 22 fret double cutaway Washburn guitar is listed as one of Bob’s favorites by scholars. After his untimely death in 1981 at age 36, the Edward Seaga-led Government declared most of the singer’s assets, including the Washburn, as national treasures. Images of Bob Marley with his other guitars, the acoustic or Gibson Les Paul rhythm guitar, with which he is said to have been buried along with his football and a stalk of ganja, have been immortalized by numerous photographers and sculptors.
Bob is said to have also owned a 1070s Fender Stratocaster and a Yamaha SG1000, which he played during The Wailers’ last tour in 1979, after which he gave it to Aston Barrett, the band’s bassist.
He also reportedly owned several acoustic guitars, including an Ovation Adamas, best known from the acoustic recording of “Redemption Song and a 1972 Guild 12-string which can be heard on the studio recordings of “Is This Love” and “Time Will Tell.
The article which highlighted the recent rankings was posted by self-improvement website Wealthy Gorilla. Coming in at number one was the Fender Stratocaster, which was owned by singer and songwriter Bryan Adams and sold for US$2.7 million at a 2015 auction.
That guitar was a part of Adams’ ‘Reach Out To Asia’ project which was established to help the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami and was well sought after as it had 19 of the world’s most iconic rock stars’ signatures inscribed all over it, including those of Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton and Bryan Adams himself.
John Lennon’s 1962 Gibson J-160 E electric acoustic guitar valued at US$2.4 million; Jimi Hendrix’s 1968 Fender Stratocaster, which priced at US$2 million and Jerry Garcia’s Wolf which sold for U$1.9 million were those who completed the top five.
