Kirk Hammett’s “One” Guitar Sells for $112,500
One very rich Metallica superfan is now the proud owner of the guitar Metallica’s Kirk Hammett used in the 1989 video for “One.”
The mysterious bidder paid $112,500 for the instrument at auction, which went live last week and attracted quite a bit of media attention.
Here are some other things the buyer could’ve purchased for that amount:
- 14,062 beers at Brooklyn’s Saint Vitus Bar
- 4,500 band t-shirts at your average concert
- 11,250,000 meals for impoverished children at No Kid Hungry
- 11,250,000 trees planted via Trees for the Future
But alas… a guitar. We sure hope the guy owns a wah pedal.
Here’s the auctioneer’s description of the axe, from Heritage Auctions:
“Kirk Hammett’s ESP 400 Series Natural Solid Body Electric Guitar, Serial # 03879 Used in the Metallica ‘One’ Music Video.
“Released in early 1989, Metallica’s ‘One’ video was the first video the metal band ever made. Having released three albums with no promotional videos accompanying them, having a five-minute video edit of their fourth album’s third single was a major deal back then. Shot in black and white and splicing footage and audio from the 1971 film Johnny Got His Gun, the ‘One’ video was a staple on MTV. But it wasn’t just a Headbanger’s Ball staple – it was on MTV during the daytime in between videos from U2, Debbie Gibson, and Bon Jovi. It was an intense proclamation that showed Metallica was going to be a band to reckon with in the mainstream in the years to come.
“Very clean and all-original ESP Strat-style guitar. Has a 1 & 11/16th width nut on a rosewood slab neck. Signed on the body in silver ink by Kirk Hammett and accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity, also signed by Kirk Hammett. 7.90 lbs. Original hard case included. Condition: Excellent.”
You can watch the guitar in action in the video for “One” below.
