George Michael’s Gretsch guitar from the video for 1987 solo single Faith is going under the hammer.
The 1940s Synchromatic 160 was a transformative instrument in Michael’s hands. Here was the pop superstar from Wham! vamping to a rockabilly Bo Diddley-style groove and a LinnDrum beat, kicking it against an old jukebox that looked like it came off of the set of Happy Days.
Even in ’88, the Synchromatic was as vintage as it gets. All acoustic with its cats-eye f-holes and archtop body – not to mention that tail-piece – seeing George Michael playing this art deco-inspired acoustic guitar was an anachronism that stopped you in your tracks. This just wasn’t what pop stars played.
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But then the ‘80s had this strange connection to the ‘50s and the dawning rock ’n’ roll era. It was there in the fashion. It was there if you looked for it in the music, too. Michael took this vintage rarity out on the road with him. And it survived. The Gretsch is sold alongside its original hard-shell guitar case, complete with stickers reading “Rockabilly rebel. It looks in excellent condition.
The Gretsch has been in the collection of the late pop star’s personal assistant Siobhan Bailey. Following Bailey’s death in 2014, her widower is sending the guitar and assorted George Michael ephemera to auction at Sworders, whose chairman, Guy Schooling, describes it as “the jewel in the crown” of the auction.
“George Michael’s work continues to resonate as powerfully today as it did during his heyday,” says Schooling. “[The Faith guitar] tells a story of creativity, ambition and artistry on a global scale. The sale will offer avid fans around the globe, the chance to own not just pieces of music history, but objects that capture the spirit and ambition of one of pop’s greatest and most-loved artists.”
Sworders is expecting the Faith Snychromatic to fetch upwards of £100,000 (approx. $135,000).
It is not one you see popping up all the time on Reverb and for Gretsch enthusiasts there is a lot to dig into here, from the ever-so split block inlays to the lightbulb headstock and old-school logo. These smaller-bodied 160s have typically more treble than the larger-bodied 400s.
But, George Michael fans, you might remember him with this guitar on the epic Faith World Tour but you did not hear this guitar on the record. The record states that this was an old metal-bodied acoustic that session ace Hugh Burns had found in the studio.
It might have been cheap, of no great value, but that dry biscuity tone was just what the rhythm part needed. Burns reverted to his Roger Griffin custom Strat-style guitar for the guitar solo, and it is one of the all-time great pop solos.
You can check out this Gretsch and the other lots in the Faith & Fame: A Personal George Michael Collection over at Sworders. The auction goes live on October 29 at 2pm BST.
