A guitar belonging to The Who's bassist John Entwistle was sold for 15,650 euros at an auction in Lyon

A guitar belonging to The Who's bassist John Entwistle was sold for 15,650 euros at an auction in Lyon.

Contrary to popular belief, The Who did not smash all their guitars: a bass specially designed by and for the British rocker John Entwistle was auctioned for 15,650 euros on Thursday in Lyon.

The instrument, valued between 12,000 and 15,000 euros, was purchased by a French collector via an online platform, according to a statement from the auction house De Baecque and Associates.

This is a "prototype" designed in 1986 by the German luthier Warwick "at the request of John Entwistle who designed it." This Buzzard model, whose shape resembles that of a buzzard, was later produced in a limited series.

The first example was presented during the 1988 inauguration of a specialized store "Guitar Center" in Lyon, which has since closed. The Who's bassist demonstrated the guitar before gifting the signed instrument to a Lyon collector deeply involved in the music world.

The collector kept it until now but decided to sell it along with other pieces from his collection.

The announcement of the sale generated "a lot of interest from around the world," according to Me de Baecque. "Collectors are a bit fetishistic; the fact that it is dated and signed attracts them," he said. "One always dreams a little with these kinds of objects..."

"The Who is still a legendary band," agreed Antoine Stacchetti, who came on Wednesday to admire the items displayed to the public in anticipation of the sale.

A long-time manager of the "Guitar Center" store, he had attended John Entwistle's "demo" in 1988.

As for the guitar, "it's a very specific model," he noted: "it is immense, which matched the build of the rocker who died in 2002, nicknamed 'the Ox' for his solid stage presence."

However, the four-string bass was outshone on Thursday by a delicate violin bow, crafted by the master Eugène Sartory, which sold for 35,650 euros.