Bass Guitar Owned by The Who’s John Entwistle Will Sell for Up to £40,000 After Queen Connection Discovered

A 1986 Warwick Buzzard bass guitar once owned by The Who's late bass player John Entwistle will be auctioned for between £20,000 and £40,000 on Dec. 2. Wood grain analysis revealed it was also played by Queen's John Deacon. The instrument was expected to fetch just £10,000 before this discovery.

Auctioneers matched the pattern of wood grain on the instrument to video footage from Queen's 1986 Montreux Pop Festival performance. The same technique showed the identical instrument appeared in the band's 1986 video for their top 20 hit Friends Will Be Friends.

The instrument is now believed to have been lent to Queen by John Entwistle. When auctioned in 2003 by Sotheby's after his death, the Warwick Buzzard sold for £3,500. Auctioneers were unaware of the connection to the band at that time. The instrument has since been found to be one of a small number of prototypes.

"Bass guitars generally aren't seen as being as cool as regular guitars, so tend to attract lower prices," said auctioneer Luke Hobbs, as quoted by the BBC. "However, this instrument, with its history with The Who — and now Queen — is pretty special."

Hobbs expects strong bidding from collectors around the world. "These were both huge British bands with international followings so we're expecting considerable interest," he said.

"The wood grain of a guitar is like a fingerprint so thank goodness the bass wasn't painted," said Hobbs. Paint would have made proving the connection to Queen impossible for the current owners.

The Warwick Buzzard bass was designed in collaboration with John Entwistle. It is among the most distinctive instruments made by the German manufacturer. The instrument became a regular feature of his later years with the band.