Burglars Miss JIMI HENDRIX Artifacts Worth An Estimated $100 Million In J. Levine Auction House Heist
January 3, 2017, 7 years ago
According to a report filed by Arizona's ABC 15, burglars smashed the front door to the J. Levine Auction House in Scottsdale just hours before it was to host a New Year’s Day auction--the company's largest of the year featuring many prized possessions. Right next to the $225,000 worth of guns and jewelry taken in the heist was a small amplifier and pedal belonging to rock legend Jimi Hendrix.
The wah-wah pedal is considered a priceless part of rock history, but was expected to net up to $100 million dollars.
“I was like, 'You've got to be kidding,” said Dave Weyer, who custom built it for Hendrix just before his famous Woodstock concert. “It's hard to find a place to fence the pedal because there's only one of them and everyone would know.”
Weyer is hoping an institution or museum will be the winning bidder at the auction, now scheduled for January 15.
“Then we can put this pedal someplace where it can continue to please people,” Weyer said.
The clip below is never before seen raw footage and close up of the wah built by Weyer for Jimi Hendrix just in time for Woodstock. Also see the overview of his Fuzz Prototype that became the West Coast 3 Transistors and the "missing link" Guild Amp.
