Kirk Hammett’s Gibson SG Auction Breaks Records with stunning Sales
The enigmatic Gibson SG that Kirk Hammett wielded during the Back to the Beginning event has fetched an remarkable $76,800 at auction. This sale was part of Julien’s Played,Worn & Torn auction,which showcased a remarkable array of electric guitars.
Unveiling the CEO-4
after much anticipation, it was confirmed that Hammett’s guitar was a CEO-4, the fourth installment in a series crafted by CEO Cesar Gueikian. This initiative aims to hand-build guitars to support Gibson’s charitable arm, Gibson Gives.
Gueikian, who took the helm as CEO in 2023, has been honing his luthiery skills through these unique builds. The series includes the CEO-1, a Les Paul; the CEO-2, an Explorer inspired by James Hetfield, created for actor Jason Momoa’s son; and the CEO-3, a Gibson Victory.
A Tribute Performance
The CEO-4 was prominently featured when Hammett performed Black Sabbath’s Hole in the Sky with Metallica at the Back to the Beginning event. Following the performance, Hammett signed the guitar’s Ghost Burst-finished body.
“We sent it to him so he could test it with his rig during soundchecks,” Gueikian shared with Guitar World. “He expressed his excitement, stating it was the ideal guitar for Hole in the Sky and a fitting tribute to Tony [Iommi].”
Record-Breaking Sales
This auction was part of Julien’s latest Played, Worn & Torn event, which featured 150 guitars played by hammett. Among the standout sales were a 1985 Gibson Custom Shop Michael Schenker Flying V, which sold for $160,000, a 1990s ESP Custom Shop M2 from the Mamma Said era that went for $32,000, and a 1996 ESP Wavecaster with a striking clear Lucite body filled with yellow liquid, which fetched $89,000.
All these instruments exceeded their estimated values substantially. The Flying V, initially estimated at $15,000, sold for over ten times that amount. The CEO-4 alone surpassed its upper estimate of $6,000 by more then $70,000.
Other Notable Auctions
In addition to Hammett’s guitars, Julien’s auction featured a 1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard, famously played by Keith Richards during the Rolling Stones’ 2007 A Bigger Bang tour, which sold for a staggering $192,000, making it the highest-selling item of the auction. This surpassed the $64,000 sale of a Warwick Streamer that U2’s Adam Clayton played on stage.
Another highlight was a Gibson Gives Ukraine Relief Les Paul, adorned with the colors of the Ukrainian flag and signed by Slash, which sold for $38,400.
for the complete results of the 2025 Played, Worn & Torn auction, visit Julien’s Auctions.
