Dusty Hill’s Iconic 1953 Bass Becomes 2nd Highest Priced Bass

Julien’s Auctions recently unveiled the outcomes of The Collection of Dusty Hill of ZZ Top auction, presenting remarkable numbers.

A range of the late bassist’s instruments fetched prices from $26,000 (such as his 1970s Charvel Precision Style “Recording Bass” from the 1981 El Loco Motion Tour) to $58,500 (his 1980s Gibson Explorer Fur Bass Guitar seen in Eliminator and more). Nevertheless, one particular guitar emerged as the second-highest-selling bass ever at an auction.

The 1953 Fender Precision once owned by Hill commanded an impressive $393,700, trailing only Paul McCartney’s BB-1200, which achieved $471,900 in 2021. Hill extensively used the ’53 Precision throughout his career, both in live performances and studio recordings, until he retired from bass in 2012. The selling price surpassed the value of Bill Wyman’s Fender Mustang in 2020.

His wife, Chuck, expressed:

“Dusty would be so pleased to know his bass is between a Beatle and a Rolling Stone!”

Another notable sale was Hill’s fur bass guitar featured in the “Legs” video, securing a winning bid of $317,000. The auction house explained that the 1983 Dean Explorer style bass, finished in sheepskin with the ZZ Top logo on the fretboard, was mounted on a rig worn around Hill’s waist for a spinning effect.

Highlights from Julien’s Auction

Hill’s basses and memorabilia surpassed their estimated values, sometimes doubling, tripling, or even quadrupling the initial predictions. Some highlights from Julien’s Auctions include:

•  Hill’s 2000s Bolin Precision style bass guitar used during ZZ Top’s 2007 live performance in Grand Prairie, Texas, sold for $22,750 (estimate: $7,000-$9,000).
• Hill’s “I Gotsa Get Paid” Music Video 2000s Bolin Telecaster style guitar with a concrete-style finish by Elwood Francis featuring a Texas Longhorn badge sold for $22,750 (estimate: $6,000-$8,000).
• MTV Moonman award statuette for Best Group Video “Legs” presented to Dusty Hill and ZZ Top at the inaugural MTV Video Music Awards ceremony held in 1984 sold for $25,400 (estimate: $10,000-$15,000).
• Dusty Hill’s commissioned oil derrick gold nugget ring accented with four circular-cut diamonds fetched $9,100 (estimate: $2,000-$3,000).
• Hill’s custom sky-blue wool suit jacket with yellow and red embroidered flowers accented with stones by Nudie’s Rodeo Tailors, worn on the cover of ZZ Top’s 1975 album Fandango!, sold for $11,430 (estimate: $6,000-$8,000).
• Hill’s black leather motorcycle jacket with a custom-painted skeleton motif, eagle head pins on the lapel, and silver spike embellishments, with “Streek Landslide” written on the back, achieved $13,000 (estimate: $1,500-$2,500).

And the list goes on with various other instruments and memorabilia associated with Dusty Hill, each item finding a new home at prices that exceeded expectations.

Julien’s Auctions