9006

John Lennon 'Live in New York City' Fender Dual Showman Amplifier Head

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Autographs Start Price:NA Estimated At:35,000.00 - 50,000.00 USD
John Lennon 'Live in New York City' Fender Dual Showman Amplifier Head

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Auction Date:2020 Jun 18 @ 18:00 (UTC-5 : EST/CDT)
Location:15th Floor WeWork, Boston, Massachusetts, 02108, United States
ALS - Autograph Letter Signed
ANS - Autograph Note Signed
AQS - Autograph Quotation Signed
AMQS - Autograph Musical Quotation Signed
DS - Document Signed
FDC - First Day Cover
Inscribed - “Personalized”
ISP - Inscribed Signed Photograph
LS - Letter Signed
SP - Signed Photograph
TLS - Typed Letter Signed
Amazing and exceedingly rare 1966 Fender Dual Showman amplifier head used on-stage by John Lennon's Plastic Ono Elephant's Memory Band during their famed 'Live in New York City' concerts at Madison Square Garden on August 30, 1972. Three of these identical Fender Dual Showman amps are seen in video footage of the Live in NYC/One-to-One benefit shows. Additionally, this amp head was also used in numerous rehearsals and recording sessions, as documented in photography by the legendary Bob Gruen. Serial no. A05389, the amp measures 24˝ x 8.5˝ x 9.25˝, and is stenciled on the top in white paint, "Plastic Ono Band & Elephant's Memory." The chassis of the amplifier—case, handle, corners, knobs, and so on—is entirely original; some of the electronic components—vacuum tubes, output capacitors, two potentiometers, and a few resistors—have been replaced, as it has seen continued use in a studio setting. It is worth noting that Fender gave the Beatles two Dual Showman amps in 1966, which Lennon used during the Revolver sessions; at this time, it is unknown whether or not this could be one of those amps.

Includes a letter of provenance signed by Gary Van Scyoc, the bassist for Elephant's Memory, in part: "After inspecting and evaluating the item listed, I, Gary Van Scyoc, certify that this 1966 Fender Dual Showman Amp chassis ser. no. 05389 is indeed the genuine amplifier used by John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band and Elephant’s Memory Band, of which I was a member of during the iconic August 30th, 1972 ‘John Lennon Live In New York City’ Madison Square Garden concert and subsequent live recording release of the said concert on February 10th, 1986, as well as numerous recording sessions for John Lennon, Yoko Ono and Elephant’s Memory during the period between 1972 and 1974." Accompanied by a modern hardshell road case.

Gear associated with the Plastic Ono Band and John Lennon’s post-Beatles career is virtually unheard of: Lennon never toured as a solo artist, and the One-to-One concerts at Madison Square Garden, benefitting the Willowbrook State School for intellectually disabled children, were his only full-length concert performances after leaving the Beatles. Given this lack of concerts, stage-used instruments and equipment are essentially nonexistent to begin with—and certainly few and far between in private hands. The consignor of this piece purchased it at Bronen's Music in New York around 1981, and suspects that it had been traded in by Elephant's Memory guitarist Wayne ‘Tex’ Gabriel, as he lived locally. As a tremendously rare stage-used amplifier from Lennon’s famous ‘Live In New York City’ show, this is an exceptional, museum-quality piece.