Bill has donated his famous – and massive – Steel Wheels bass amp rig to a charity auction in aid of MusiCares, supporting artists and musicians impacted by coronavirus.
Bill’s donation of the complete customer Mesa Boogie base amp was used during the Rolling Stones’ 1989-1990 Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle World Tour – and the auction is your chance to own a hefty slice of music history, and all for a good cause.
You’ll need deep pockets, however. A pre-auction estimate values the rig at around $250,000, with appraisals reaching $2m.
Still, you’ll get a lot for your money. The rig includes a Mesa Boogie Road Ready 118 speaker cabinet loaded with an 18-inch Electro-Voice speaker, a Mesa Boogie Road Ready 1516 speaker cabinet with one 15-inch speaker, one 10-inch speaker and two six-inch speakers, a Mesa Boogie Road Ready 1516 speaker cabinet with one 15-inch speaker, one 10-inch speaker and two six-inch speakers and a Mesa Boogie Bass 400 Bass Head rack mounted in a Mesa Boogie SUS-3 Super Shockmount System case and Mesa Boogie Strategy 400 Stereo Slave Head.
Bill says:
“Having myself been in quarantine for the past ten weeks, I can really feel for my fellow musicians and artists who are suffering from the impact of the pandemic. When MusiCares reached out to me about providing something for their COVID-19 Relief Fund, I decided to help by offering my original bass rig that I used on the Steel Wheels US Tour of 1989, which I consider to be an important part of the Stones and music’s history.
Nothing would please me more than to know that the proceeds from the sale of this, will go to support my fellow musicians during this time of need, and to also know that my bass rig will find a new home where it will be appreciated for years to come.”
The Charity Auction takes place September 16 in Beverly Hills and online at Julien’s Auctions.
(Image credit: Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)