A David Bowie played and owned 1989 Gibson L4 Custom guitar, serial number 82377535, with a black finish. This guitar was used by David Bowie in the studio, on stage, and while on tour with Tin Machine. One of Bowie's preferred instruments during this period, it can be seen in live videos and Music News reports from 1989. The guitar is also featured in videos for the Tin Machine 1 Album.

Tin Machine was a band that consisted of David Bowie on lead vocals and guitar, Reeves Gabrels on guitar, Tony Fox Sales on bass, and Hunt Sales on drums. The band was a return to a collaborative band setting for Bowie, who had been a solo artist since the 1970s. Tin Machine was active from 1988 to 1992. By some accounts, the group challenged Bowie to be more spontaneous, with fewer takes and less production put into music making. Bowie was said to have taken inspiration from a favorite band, the Pixies, to contribute to the edgy rock sound of Tin Machine. This Gibson was used heavily in the studio for the recording of Tin Machine II. Reeves, the guitarist of Tin Machine details in a signed letter, included with this lot, that the guitar was most notably used on the songs "One Shot," "Shopping for Girls," and "Goodbye Mr.Red."

The guitar is accompanied by a Sound + Vision tour program booklet. The booklet, which measures 16 x 11 1/2 inches, features 8 full pages of Bowie playing this Gibson L4 custom guitar.

Plus a framed black and white picture of Bowie strumming the guitar, which measures, framed, 15 1/2 x 12 1/2 inches.

This lot includes a signed letter of authenticity from Reeves Gabrels, who was a member of Tin Machine and worked with Bowie for years.Letter measures 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches and is written in black marker and dated 6/04/04. In the letter, Reeves certifies the authenticity and details his first-hand accounts of Bowie playing this guitar.

David Bowie changed music history. He was a leading figure in popular music for over five decades, acclaimed by critics and musicians alike for his innovative work. His career was marked by reinvention and visual presentation, his music and stagecraft significantly influencing popular music. During his lifetime, his record sales, estimated at 140 million albums worldwide, made him one of the world's best-selling music artists. In the UK, he was awarded nine Platinum album certifications, eleven gold, and eight silver, releasing eleven number-one albums. In the US, he received five platinum and nine gold certifications. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.

Julien's, February 2009.

Good condition.