Broken Hope’s Jeremy Wagner Purchased Jeff Hanneman’s Personal Guitar Collection

Broken Hope guitarist Jeremy Wagner has purchased the guitar collection of late Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman. Wagner contacted Kathryn, Hanneman’s widow, upon discovering that she was putting the guitars up for auction to help the Wounded Warriors Project, one of Jeff’s favorite charities, and paid an undisclosed sum for the guitars. Included in the collection is Hanneman’s classic black-and-white punk rock Jackson (you know the one, with the Dead Kennedys logo).

In a recent interview with Guitar World, Wagner said:

“Riffs are just flowing out of me. I feel a real responsibility to Jeff and to Kathryn to use these guitars in a way that honors him. As long as I own these guitars, I will use them and carry on Jeff Hanneman‘s legacy. He remains a huge influence to me, and I probably wouldn’t be here as an extreme metal guitarist/lyricist without him.”

As one of those fucking nutbars who’s interested in spirit energy and talismanic power and all that, I’m happy that Jeff’s guitars are being used again. Broken Hope aren’t my favorite band necessarily, but I think the more these guitars get played, the more they carry on his legacy and the more power they have. They’re like some ancient black magic tome, exponentially charged by the souls of all those black wizards who used it over time until it’s just humming with evil strength.

On the other hand, Broken Hope have been accused of being egomaniacs before, so maybe Wagner is just indulging in some fan worship and stroking his ego for equating himself with Hanneman. Maybe Slayer should have purchased the guitars themselves and used them — who knows what might have been?

What do you think — should Wagner continue Hanneman’s legacy through his gear, or is it blasphemy for him to be playing a Hanneman ax? Should Indy swing in and steal them back for the Smithsonian? Does it fucking matter at all? Let us know in the Comments.

[via The PRP]