Kirk Hammett’s Guitar From Metallica’s ‘One’ Video Sells for Over $100,000
Update: The guitar Kirk Hammett plays in Metallica's "One" music video sold on Sunday (April 11) to an anonymous buyer for $112,500, according to Blabbermouth. The instrument's listing at Heritage Auctions now shows the bidding as closed, with the auction having received 35 total bids and registered phone bidders. Read the original story about the Metallica guitar auction below.
The guitar Kirk Hammett plays in Metallica's music video for the unforgettable …And Justice for All single "One" is now up for auction via Dallas collectibles dealer Heritage Auctions.
Bidding is open for the next five days, and, as of this posting, the instrument holds a current bid of $26,000 — not including a buyer's premium to be added as a percentage of the final bid.
As Metallica-loving musicians might know, the guitar in question is a natural wood finish Strat-style ESP model from the Japanese instrument maker's 400 Series. Further specs reveal it comes complete with three single-coil pickups, black hardware and a Floyd Rose tremolo system. It has a 1-11/16th width nut on a rosewood slab neck, weighs nearly 8 pounds, and it comes in its original hardshell case. Not to mention, the instrument's also signed by Hammett in silver ink and includes a certificate of authenticity.
See some photos of the Kirk Hammett guitar down toward the bottom of this post.
"In early 1989, Metallica's 'One' video was the first video the metal band ever made," Heritage Auctions says in its description of the axe. "Having released three albums with no promotional videos … a five-minute video edit of their fourth album's third single was a major deal back then."
The listing continues, "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."
What a throwback. Even over 30 years later, "One" still holds a special place in many Metallica fans' hearts. Just last month, a thrash metal-loving YouTuber made a Metallica-Megadeth mashup that inventively combines the audio from "One" with that of Megadeth's classic "Countdown to Extinction."
Now, one lucky bidder may end up thrashing on the Metallica "One" guitar itself.