Ace Frehley’s Budokan Les Paul, Kirk Hammett’s Ouija Guitar Head to Auction

Julien’s Music Icons sale in New York on May 29–30 includes 650 items from Johnny Cash, Metallica, Kiss, Eddie Van Halen, and more.

Julien’s auction house will offer 650 items tied to some of rock’s most storied instruments and memorabilia at its Music Icons sale in New York City on May 29 and 30. Among the headliners are Ace Frehley’s 1975 Gibson Les Paul, the guitar he played at every Kiss concert from 1976 to 1979, and Kirk Hammett’s glow-in-the-dark Ouija board ESP, a workhorse of Metallica’s most commercially dominant decade. Items go on public view at New York’s Hard Rock Café beginning May 13.

The Kiss and Metallica Guitars Leading the Sale

Frehley’s 1975 Gibson Les Paul carries the highest estimate in the auction, with Julien’s projecting a sale price between $400,000 and $600,000. The guitar served as his number-one instrument at every Kiss concert between 1976 and 1979, a stretch that spans the band’s Rock and Roll Over and Dynasty albums. Frehley also used it to record Kiss’ Love Gun album, and recordings from Tokyo’s Budokan that appeared on Alive II gave the guitar its name.

Hammett’s 1993 ESP is decorated with a glow-in-the-dark Ouija board design and carries an estimate of $250,000 to $350,000. The guitarist used it to record Metallica’s Black Album, Load, ReLoad, Garage Inc., and Death Magnetic. A handwritten note included with the guitar reads: “This was one of my main touring + recording guitars throughout the ’90s.”

More Frehley Pieces and Other Rock Guitar Highlights

The sale includes two additional Frehley guitars. A 1997 Gibson Signature Les Paul Custom that he played at Super Bowl XXXIII carries an estimate of $40,000 to $60,000. A Light Show Sanchez Custom Gibson Les Paul Jr. used on Kiss’ 1996 reunion tour, including the band’s Brooklyn Bridge gig for MTV, is estimated at $10,000 to $15,000.

Eddie Van Halen’s striped Charvel Art Series guitar, played at the band’s last performance with Sammy Hagar in 2004, is estimated to sell for between $50,000 and $70,000. Guitars that once belonged to Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine, Anthrax’s Scott Ian, and Mötley Crüe’s Mick Mars are also part of the sale, along with instruments tied to Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Johnny Cash’s Grand Ole Opry Martin Anchors the Acoustic Offerings

One of the most historically significant pieces in the auction is Johnny Cash’s 1954 Martin D18. According to Julien’s, Cash played the guitar at his Grand Ole Opry debut in July 1956, performing “Folsom City Blues” and “I Walk the Line.” The auction house also reports he recorded those two songs on the instrument, along with “Hey, Porter” and “There You Go.” The estimate sits between $100,000 and $200,000.

The 1966 Gibson Southern Jumbo Acoustic Guitar that Gary Busey played in The Buddy Holly Story (1978) is also in the sale, estimated at $10,000 to $20,000.

Memorabilia and Clothing Rounding Out the 650-Item Sale

Beyond guitars, the auction features a wide range of rock and pop artifacts. A copy of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band signed by all four members carries an estimate of $20,000 to $40,000. Joni Mitchell’s handwritten lyrics to “Woodstock” are estimated at $20,000 to $30,000, and Jim Morrison’s signed bond documents from his 1969 Florida arrest are estimated in the same range.

Clothing highlights include a velvet suit worn by late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham in 1976, estimated at $15,000 to $25,000, and a sleeveless T-shirt Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook wore onstage in 1977, estimated at $10,000 to $15,000. On the contemporary side, shorts worn by Sabrina Carpenter in her “Manchild” music video are estimated at $1,000 to $2,000, and gloves worn by Blackpink’s Lisa at a magazine cover shoot carry an estimate of $400 to $600.

Key Lots and Estimates at a Glance

The full range of highlighted estimates from the Julien’s Music Icons sale:

• Ace Frehley 1975 Gibson Les Paul ‘Budokan’ — $400,000–$600,000
• Kirk Hammett 1993 ESP Ouija Board — $250,000–$350,000
• Johnny Cash 1954 Martin D18 — $100,000–$200,000
• Eddie Van Halen Charvel Art Series (2004) — $50,000–$70,000
• Ace Frehley 1997 Gibson Signature Les Paul Custom (Super Bowl XXXIII) — $40,000–$60,000
• Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s signed album — $20,000–$40,000
• Joni Mitchell handwritten ‘Woodstock’ lyrics — $20,000–$30,000
• Jim Morrison signed bond documents — $20,000–$30,000
• John Bonham velvet suit (1976) — $15,000–$25,000
• Ace Frehley Light Show Sanchez Custom Gibson Les Paul Jr. (1996 reunion tour) — $10,000–$15,000
• Paul Cook Sex Pistols onstage T-shirt (1977) — $10,000–$15,000
• Gary Busey 1966 Gibson Southern Jumbo (The Buddy Holly Story) — $10,000–$20,000
• Sabrina Carpenter ‘Manchild’ music video shorts — $1,000–$2,000
• Blackpink Lisa magazine shoot gloves — $400–$600

What we know

• Julien’s auction house will sell 650 items as part of its Music Icons series in New York City on May 29 and 30.
• Items from the auction will be on view at New York’s Hard Rock Café beginning May 13.
• Ace Frehley’s 1975 Gibson Les Paul, his number-one ‘Budokan’ guitar, is estimated to sell for between $400,000 and $600,000.
• Frehley played the Budokan Les Paul at every Kiss concert between 1976 and 1979 and used it to record the Love Gun album.
• Kirk Hammett’s 1993 ESP Ouija board guitar is estimated at $250,000 to $350,000 and was used to record the Black Album, Load, ReLoad, Garage Inc., and Death Magnetic.
• Johnny Cash’s 1954 Martin D18, played at his Grand Ole Opry debut in July 1956, carries an estimate of $100,000 to $200,000.
• Eddie Van Halen’s striped Charvel Art Series guitar, played at the band’s last performance with Sammy Hagar in 2004, is estimated at $50,000 to $70,000.

The take

Julien’s Music Icons series has become one of the most reliable barometers for what the collector market will pay for rock history, and this sale’s top lots reflect a clear hierarchy: instruments with documented recording provenance and a tight narrative command the biggest numbers. Frehley’s Budokan Les Paul is a textbook example. It has a specific name, a specific era, a specific album, and a specific live legacy, all of which compress into a single object. That kind of story is what pushes estimates past the half-million mark. Hammett’s Ouija ESP operates similarly; the Black Album alone would justify a premium, but the fact that it spans five records across a decade of peak Metallica makes it a different category of artifact entirely. The Cash Martin D18 is arguably the most historically significant guitar in the room, given that the Grand Ole Opry debut in 1956 is a foundational moment in American music, though its estimate reflects the reality that acoustic country instruments have historically trailed electric rock guitars at auction. What’s notable about this particular sale is the breadth: from a $400 pair of K-pop gloves to a $600,000 Les Paul, Julien’s is clearly working to expand the collector base beyond the traditional classic rock buyer. That strategy has become standard practice for the major music memorabilia houses over the past several years.

Why it matters

For classic rock collectors and fans, auctions like this are increasingly the primary venue where instruments with genuine historical weight change hands. The Frehley and Hammett guitars represent two of the most commercially and culturally significant bands of their respective eras, and their provenance is unusually well-documented. The public preview at the Hard Rock Café also means casual fans can engage with these objects before the bidding begins, keeping the broader audience connected to the history behind the price tags.

What’s next

The public preview at New York’s Hard Rock Café opens May 13. The Julien’s Music Icons auction itself takes place over two days, May 29 and 30, in New York City.

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