Marshall Stack Guitar Being Auctioned to Benefit Kidney Research

Aug 27, 2001

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Bidding began on August 22 for the Spinal Tap "Marshall Stack" Guitar, once owned and used by Nigel Tufnel, lead guitarist of Spinal Tap. A smashing success, the eBay charity guitar auction has already raised of $9,600 for pediatric kidney research by auctioning off Steve Vai's one and only "Red Lace" guitar earlier this month. Hosted by Ernie Ball, all the proceeds from the auction will go to the Casey Lee Ball Foundation, a nonprofit organization where every dollar donated goes directly to pediatric kidney research.

The Marshall Stack Guitar is one of only two ever made, and was once featured on the cover of Guitar World magazine. The body is a replica of a full Marshall Stack with a detachable bottom half. It has a Jackson neck and Seymour Duncan pickup. It is a fully functional working ax personally used by Niguel Tufnel during some of Spinal Tap's most memorable tours.

Once the Marshall Stack auction is complete, a Music Man Spinal Tap Limited Edition Signature Guitar will be posted on eBay for the highest bidder. The Music Man Spinal Tap guitar is #21 of only 25 ever made. This hot-rod theme guitar is embellished with flamboyant details including chrome exhaust pipes, orange and yellow flame paint scheme, four humbucking pickups, a functional tachometer, and a rubber-booted, iron gear shifter for the tremolo bar, topped by a black eight ball.

The Casey Lee Ball Foundation is a nonprofit organization where every dollar donated goes directly to research. The major source of funding for the Casey Lee Ball Foundation has been the Casey Lee Ball Golf Classic, an annual charity golf tournament held with celebrity guests. The fund raising efforts have raised over two million dollars to pay for much needed pediatric kidney research. As a result of this research, several new medicines have made it to market and are helping to reduce the side effects of kidney transplant anti-rejection medicines.

The Casey Lee Ball Foundation endows a chair at UCLA, which represents a million dollar contribution and one of only six chairs at UCLA that are endowed, ensuring kidney research will go on in perpetuity.