Jack Bruce’s Favourite Bass, Lyrics For Auction

The next Sotheby’s Rock & Pop auction on September 29 will include 35 items hand-picked by Jack Bruce before his death last year. The lots include Jack’s favourite guitar, the Warwick Thumb Bass, which is valued at between £80,000 – £100,000). The collection also includes costumes, handwritten lyrics and, among many other desirable items, a mellotron featuring recordings of his voice circa 1975.

The auction will take place ahead of the sold out ‘Sunshine Of Your Love’ tribute concert, in aid of the charity EACH, at London’s Roundhouse on October 24. This will feature Ginger Baker, Phil Manzanera, Ian Anderson, Vernon Reid, Mark King, Hugh Cornwell and many other stars.

The auction also includes Bruce’s signed manuscript lyrics for Cream’s ‘White Room,’ a cowhide fringed jacket from the Cream era, his Hammond B3 organ and Leslie speaker cabinet and his late 19th century portable harmonium. Other eye-catching items include a suede coat with wool trim from the West, Bruce & Laing band era of the 1970s and a watch presented to him in 1997 by Ringo Starr.

The entry in the Sotheby’s catalogue includes the following detail:

“Alongside 18 costumes worn on tours and concerts across the world, eight guitars, handwritten lyrics and musical manuscripts, the sale will include Jack Bruce’s favourite bass guitar, the Warwick Thumb Bass (est. £80,000-100,000). It was played at the Cream performance during their induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and remained Bruce’s favoured instrument until the recording of Jack’s final album, ‘Silver Rails,’ released in March 2014. Jack said of this bespoke, one-off guitar: ‘If something ever happened to my old Warwick Fretless Thumb Bass, then I might as well just hang it up [playing bass] entirely, because it is irreplaceable – I love it above all else.'”

Format: UK English