Spinal Tap guitar played at Wembley up for auction

10 hours ago

News image — The rare instrument is expected to fetch up to £12,000 at auction

Gardiner Houlgate/PA A man with brown curly hair and beard smiling and holding a blue guitar with orange flames on its body and a thermometer up its stem - with a rack of guitars in the background. — The rare instrument is expected to fetch up to £12,000 at auction

A guitar used by spoof rock band Spinal Tap during the Live Earth concert at Wembley stadium in 2007 is expected to fetch up to £12,000 at auction.

Bids for the instrument - played and signed by fictional lead guitarist Nigel Tufnel (actor Christopher Guest) - will take place at Gardiner Houlgate in Corsham, Wiltshire, on 9 June.

Built by US manufacturer Ernie Ball, the rare guitar features a working thermometer, a snow globe containing a figurine of former US vice-president Al Gore, and a laser-engraved image of a burning planet Earth.

Auctioneer Luke Hobbs said the instrument, which also has buttons in the shape of pyramids and ice cubes, was "genuinely unique".

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Gardiner Houlgate/PA A close-up image of a person's hands holding a rare blue guitar with orange flames on its body and images of the earth, with a thermometer up its stem next to a photograph of a singer holding the guitar. — The guitar was played at Wembley stadium and signed by fictional lead guitarist Nigel Tufnel, played by actor Christopher Guest

Spinal Tap are a fictional British heavy rock band featured in the 1984 mockumentary film, This is Spinal Tap.

The film was a huge success, and led to the band touring and recording music including UK single The Majesty Of Rock.

The sequel to the original film, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, was released in 2025.

Getty Images Christopher Guest of Spinal Tap addresses the crowd through a microphone during the Live Earth concert at Wembley Stadium. He has long brown hair and is wearing a red top. The unique guitar is hung around his neck — The guitar was played on stage during the huge 2007 concert at Wembley

Live Earth was a one-off event in 2007 to raise awareness of climate change, and saw more than 150 musical acts played in 12 locations around the world, including Wembley Stadium.

The guitar - which took more than 1,200 hours to design and build - is being sold by a private seller to fund his love of travelling the world to see his favourite rock bands, particularly Pearl Jam.

"This is one of those weird and wonderful guitars that it's a delight to auction. It's a genuinely unique instrument – and it always raises a smile," said Hobbs.

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