A remarkable piece of musical history has emerged after forensic wood grain analysis connected a bass guitar owned by The Who's John Entwistle to legendary performances by Queen's John Deacon.
The discovery has dramatically increased the instrument's value ahead of its auction next month, with expectations now reaching up to £40,000 - triple its original estimate.
The Wood Grain Fingerprint
In what auctioneers describe as a painstaking exercise, experts matched the unique wood grain pattern of a 1986 Warwick Buzzard bass guitar to video footage of Queen's landmark 1986 Montreux Pop Festival performance.
The same technique also confirmed the instrument appears in Queen's 1986 video for their top 20 hit Friends Will Be Friends. Auctioneer Luke Hobbs explained the significance: "The wood grain of a guitar is like a fingerprint so thank goodness the bass wasn't painted."
He added: "If it had been, the current owners probably wouldn't have been able to prove the connection to Queen."
From £3,500 to £40,000
The bass guitar's journey to its current valuation tells a story of increasing appreciation. When last auctioned in 2003 by Sotherby's following Entwistle's death, it sold for just £3,500.
Initially, auctioneers at Gardiner Houlgate had estimated the instrument would fetch around £10,000. However, after establishing the Queen connection and confirming it's one of only a small number of prototypes, they've revised the estimate to between £20,000 and £40,000.
The instrument is now believed to have been lent to Queen by Entwistle, creating a fascinating link between two of Britain's most iconic bands.
Auction Expectations and Historical Significance
The bass guitar will go under the hammer on December 2 at Gardiner Houlgate in Wiltshire, with auctioneers anticipating considerable international interest.
Luke Hobbs, who describes himself as a Queen fan, highlighted the significance of the 1986 performance: "The 1986 Montreux Pop Festival was one of their highpoints. They were at the peak of their powers and had just released their classic album A Kind Of Magic."
He noted that while bass guitars typically attract lower prices than regular guitars, this instrument's dual history makes it "pretty special."
The Warwick Buzzard bass itself represents innovative design, having been originally designed in collaboration with John Entwistle and becoming a regular feature of his later years with The Who.
This remarkable discovery demonstrates how modern analysis techniques can uncover hidden layers of musical history, transforming both our understanding of iconic performances and the value of the instruments that created them.
