Izzy Stradlin’s ‘Appetite for Destruction’ Guitar Auction Begins at $50,000

A piece of rock ’n’ roll history has hit the auction block, with Izzy Stradlin’s Appetite for Destruction-era guitar starting at a whopping $50,000.

Stradlin, an original Guns N’ Roses member, formed the legendary band with Axl Rose in 1985. From the ashes of Hollywood Rose came one of the greatest and highest-selling albums of all time, Appetite for Destruction, which solidified GN’R’s place in rock ’n’ roll infamy.

Though Izzy Stradlin parted ways with Guns N’ Roses back in 1991, his mystique has remained, enough for his guitar to begin at $50,000 at auction. The 1987 Gibson ES-175D axe in arctic white was played by Stradlin on Appetite for Destruction and various concerts until roughly February 1988, when Stradlin sold the guitar to GN’R manager Howie Hubberman. A fellow Sunset Strip band then purchased the instrument from Hubberman’s guitar shop and owned it until 2020, when it was sold to a music industry executive.

“The guitar shows all the critical details that demonstrate the authenticity of this magnificent instrument,” an official Backstage Auctions description reads. “Under the crevasse where the body meets the backside of the neck is an imprint of the yellow nylon rope with a diamond pattern which is evidence of ‘rope burn’ from Izzy’s guitar strap. Further, there are glue marks left where the bridge was reattached after it became dislodged when the guitar was restrung. Next, the guitar has an exposed screw hole from where the pick guard was removed and lastly, the fourth knob that is missing in some of the pictures was included in the storage compartment of the guitar case.”

Izzy Stradlin 1987 Gibson ES-175D

“The Gibson ES-175s were a big favorite of mine when we first started,” Stradlin told Guitar Magazine in 1993. “I like Les Pauls but the hollow bodies are great because I can play them in hotel rooms or anywhere without an amp. I just love the look, the feel, and the sound those things get.”

Head over to Backstage Auctions for more info.