This lot will be auctioned on Friday, November 4th. The auction will begin at 3:00PM GMT and lots are sold sequentially via live auctioneer; tune in to the live streaming broadcast on auction day to follow the pace. Note other lots in the auction may close on Thursday, November 3rd; Saturday, November 5th; or Sunday, November 6th.
A limited-edition bass guitar known as the Hac 51 model, constructed from pieces of the Haçienda nightclub in Manchester, England. The Haçienda became famous during the rave scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s, during which time it was primarily funded by the band New Order and their label Factory Records. After escalating debts, it lost its licence in June 1997 and was demolished in 2002.
When this happened, the club's maple dance floor was mostly scrapped. However, some pieces were salvaged by a band that rehearsed upstairs in the same building, who stored them in a garden shed. In 2010, the publisher of The Haçienda: How Not to Run a Club, written by New Order co-founder and bassist Peter Hook, suggested putting pieces of the floor with special-edition versions of the book. So music archivist Chris Hewitt - who has worked with Hook on and off for the last 40 years - tracked down the salvaged maple dance floor pieces. While he examined and cut pieces for the publishers, it occurred to him that they could also be used to create the neck maple fretboard on guitars. After discussing the idea with Hook, Hewitt commissioned custom guitar builder Brian Eastwood to create 10 bass guitars with maple fretboard from the pieces.
The instrument comprises a headstock formed into the shape of the Haçienda dancefloor; a neck with fretboard made from the maple dance floor; and a yellow-and-black striped body, representing the Ben Kelly designed nightclub's iconic chevrons. Metal checker plate pieces the same as the nightclub's staircases decorate the headstock and back of the body.
This particular guitar also has a piece of the original granite bar top mounted into the body. Additionally, what are normally f-holes on a hollow body guitar have been changed to "5" and "1" shaped holes, representing FAC 51, the catalogue number issued to the Haçienda by Factory Records. The guitar comes in a protective flight case with a black faux-fur lining, and the neck exhibits markings from its time as part of a dance floor.
This lot comes from the personal collection of Chris Hewitt, noted audio archaeologist and author of several books on vintage sound equipment. A letter from him is included. Dimensions (guitar): 120 cm x 40.5 cm x 7 cm (47 1/4" x 16" x 2 3/4")
Contains electronics; see electronics notice in the Buyer's Guide.
Estimate: £5,000 - 7,000 M