Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath’s final concert, the Back to the Beginning festival, is the charity event that keeps on giving.
After reportedly raising around $200 million for non-profit organizations, a selection of autographed instruments used by some big stars—such as a guitar played by Metallica’s Kirk Hammett during “Back to the Beginning”—is being auctioned off for charity.
Ultimate Classic Rock reports that Gibson Gives and Julien’s Auctions are hosting the “Played, Worn & Torn” auction, featuring 15 instruments used onstage and signed by the stars that played them. In addition to Hammett, the list includes Cheap Trick, Pat Benatar, Lzzy Hale, Rise Against, Mana, and the All-American Rejects.
As for the guitar that Hammett played, it’s a one-of-one Gibson SG guitar, CEO#4, designed and custom-built by Gibson CEO and President Cesar Gueikian. Hammett played the guitar during Metallica’s Back to the Beginning cover of Black Sabbath’s “Hole in the Sky”.
“CEO#4 is a unique maple-top SG that combines elements of the Gibson SG, Super 400 and Supreme, and Les Paul Custom, finished in a Ghost Burst—a name coined by my friend Adam Jones of Tool,” Gueikian explained. “I created it as a tribute to Tony Iommi, the father of heavy metal, who defined the genre with a Gibson SG. After the show, Kirk signed the guitar, and it has remained untouched since, strings included. The guitar also comes with my backstage pass from that historic event.”
You can see the CEO#4 and all the other instruments available from the auction at Julien’s Auctions’ official site between now and November 20th. All proceeds will benefit Gibson Gives. The non-profit organization that supports musicians worldwide through music education and health and wellness programs.
Metallica’s next big gig could be at the Sphere in Las Vegas
In other Metallica news, rumors have been swirling this year that they could be plotting a run of shows at the Las Vegas Sphere. Speculation began rising back in July. Drummer Lars Ulrich made an appearance on Howard Stern’s SiriusXM show. While there, he teased that the band might have a unique opportunity to partner with the venue.
“I’m not going to confirm anything, because there’s nothing to confirm. But I’m not going to deny it, because we’re all such fans of this venue,” he said at the time. “All of our managers and our production people have been there and looked at it. It’s something that we’re considering, [but] nothing is etched in stone or green-lit. It’s something that we’re looking at at some point when the 2026 tour is done.”
“I would f***ing love to do it, let there be no question about it,” Ulrich added. “It’s not signed, sealed, and delivered. But speaking to me and asking my opinion, I would f***ing love to do it.”
If Metallica plays The Sphere, it would be something “no heavy rock band has done.”
The band’s bassist, Robert Trujillo, later weighed in on the speculation. He said that if it happens, it would be something “no heavy rock band has done” yet. “There’s a lot of history with our music. There’s potential for a lot of visual stimulation on this. And I can’t wait to be a part of it. So let’s see what happens.”
The post A Guitar That Metallica’s Kirk Hammett Played During Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath’s Final Concert Is Being Auctioned Off appeared first on VICE.
