Marty Friedman’s rare 1985 Jackson Kelly San Dimas is currently for sale.
The guitar can be heard on Megadeth’s legendary albums Rust in peace And Countdown to extinctionreleased in 1990 and 1992 respectively. It is also said to be one of the first 500 guitars Jackson ever built, and due to its rarity, it could potentially sell for up to $125,000.
Outside of Megadeth, Friedman also used the guitar on Cacophonys Speed Metal Symphony (1987) and Go away! (1988), alongside his solo albums Kiss of the Dragon (1988) and Scenes (1992).
“I bought it in Hawaii around 1985 when I was in the band Hawaii,” Friedman says in the certificate of authenticity. “Originally it had a black and white tiger stripe graphic and two humbuckers and two tone controls. When I joined Megadeth, it was repainted black and converted to a single humbucker with a volume control.”
“I did several Hawaii recordings and concerts with it. One time it even had a flamethrower on the headstock. This was my No. 2 touring guitar for most of my Megadeth years. Like Kelly No. 1, this guitar was featured in many ’90s magazines, Jackson catalogs and advertisements.”
Given its age, the guitar is as worn as you would expect, showing “all the signs of a well-loved, well-played instrument” as well as “scratches, dents, chips, cracks and faded finishes.” Yet it still has a sound that is “pure Marty Friedman, with those mids that cut through in any mix.” It’s ready to play right out of the box, already strung with Friedman’s preferred 10-46 strings.
The rare Jackson Kelly San Dimas is being sold by his longtime manager, who purchased him at an eBay auction in 2011 with proceeds benefiting the Jason Becker Special Needs Trust and the ALS Therapy Development Institute.
According to the certificate of authenticity, the guitar has been kept in climate-controlled storage and serviced by a top-notch luthier since Friedman’s time with Megadeth.
The sale is still ongoing on Reverb and bids are still being considered.
