The Edge’s unique mirror-tiled Gibson Les Paul has re-emerged at auction, 27 years after it was last sold.
The reflective Gibson featured in the music video for 1997 U2’s track, Discothèque, lifted from their Platinum-rated album, Pop, which marked an experimental stylistic departure from their earlier work.
All four members had signed the back of the guitar before it was auctioned off for charity in 1999. While the figure it went for nearly three decades ago hasn’t been publicized, the guitar’s second time under the hammer could see it sell for as much as $150,000.
A close look at the guitar shows that the individual tiles look pretty thick, meaning the guitar likely weighs a considerable amount – it’s more of a wall piece (or playable disco ball) than it is a workhorse in waiting.
Gotta Have Rock and Roll is handling the auction, with the bidding sitting at $80,000 at the time of writing.
The band’s Pop album, the auction house states, “marked a significant phase in the band’s evolution, incorporating dance and electronic elements into their music.”
It’s not the only one of the Edge’s Les Pauls to have been auctioned off. His ‘75 Alpine White model sold for $228,000 in the early 2000s. Soon after, Gibson surprised him with a virtually identical replica. The replica would go on to feature on No Line on the Horizon.
Oddball guitars have been the Edge’s bread and butter throughout his career, with an ultra-rare modded Fender the secret weapon behind some of the band’s biggest hits.
The guitar’s auction runs until Friday, July 17.
See Gotta Have Rock and Roll for more.
