DALLAS, TX.- On May 6 Heritage will present the vintage guitar collection of the late Dave Westerbeke, a lifelong musician, collector, and pillar of the Northern California music scene, in an upcoming auction that celebrates not only a remarkable cache of instruments but also the vibrant spirit of the Bay Area's rock-and-roll history.
The event, Heritage's Vintage Guitars and Musical Instruments Signature® Auction, features Westerbeke gems that span decades of music history, from a 1941 Martin D-18 once owned by David Grisman to a legendary 1961 Gibson L-5CES from the collection of Sons of Champlin guitarist Terry Haggerty, and many more.
"These guitars reflect the soul of a man who lived and breathed music," says Aaron Piscopo, Heritage's Director of Vintage Guitars & Musical Instruments. "Dave Westerbeke had an ear for tone and an eye for the story behind each instrument. What we're offering isn't just a collection. It's a window into California's musical past."
A native of Mill Valley, Westerbeke was seldom seen without a guitar in hand. Over the course of more than 60 years, he poured his passion into music as a singer, songwriter, guitarist and collector. He played with a wide range of Bay Area bands from soul to country rock, including Frank Biner and the Night Shift, the Crocodiles and most recently, Buck Nickels and Loose Change with his pal, the legendary guitar tech and multi-instrumentalist Larry Cragg.
"Westerbeke's legacy was deeply intertwined with the Bay Area's storied music lineage," says Piscopo. "As a teenager, Westerbeke took guitar lessons from Quicksilver Messenger Service co-founder John Cipollina. He would go on to perform in the same clubs — and alongside the same musicians — that defined the psychedelic and country-rock movements born in the shadow of Haight-Ashbury and nourished in Marin County."
The 50 Westerbeke lots on offer in the auction include guitars, other stringed instruments and amplifiers from the renowned collection, and includes such treasures as a 1949 Bigsby Standard Natural Solid Body Electric Guitar — an essential piece of guitar history built during the golden era of Bigsby's innovative work — as well as a 1944 Martin D-28 Natural Acoustic (this one is an outstanding example of the highly sought-after herringbone-era D-28, known for its powerful tone and legendary craftsmanship) and such gems as a circa-1963 Vox AC-30 amplifier with its signature Blue Bulldog speakers, certainly one of the most iconic of amps. A Butterscotch Blonde 1951 Fender Telecaster joins them (this guitar was featured in the June 1991 issue of Guitar Player Magazine as part of a tribute to Leo Fender) and a 1956 D'Angelico New Yorker Natural Archtop Acoustic, one of the most revered archtop acoustic guitars ever produced.
The collection goes deep, and Larry Cragg knows it well. One of Westerbeke's closest friends (and bandmates), Cragg met Dave in the 1970s while repairing guitars at Prune Music, the famed Mill Valley shop frequented by the Grateful Dead, Santana, Big Brother and the Holding Company and Jefferson Airplane. Perhaps best known as Neil Young's longtime guitar technician and onstage banjo player, Cragg toured with Young for decades and performed on the classic hit "Old Man." His resume includes work with Nils Lofgren, Clarence Clemons and others, and his unmatched guitar expertise is celebrated throughout the industry.
Cragg offers deep insight into some of the most coveted instruments in Westerbeke's collection. Among them is the 1941 Martin D-18 once owned by David Grisman. "That's probably his best guitar," Cragg says. "We called it ‘The Bull.' It's all about the tone. It had everything you'd want. It had a really great low end and it was clean at the same time. It was bizarre. The upper register was clean and crisp, and the low end would just come out. That's a beautiful guitar."
Another standout is Westerbeke's 1953 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop, which Cragg personally modified to mimic Neil Young's famed "Old Black."
"On '53 Les Pauls, the neck didn't have much angle, which limited the height of the bridge and led to the trapeze bridge where the strings came from underneath," Cragg explains. "To compensate, I installed a Tune-o-matic bridge and a Bigsby — a setup I've done for many artists over the years."
Then there's the storied 1961 Gibson L-5CES, originally belonging to Terry Haggerty of the Sons of Champlin. "That was a real famous guitar around here in Marin County because of the Sons of Champlin, which was the very biggest band going [in the area] by a lot," Cragg says. "Haggerty was the big star of the band and he played this L-5 through two Twin Reverbs turned really, really loud so it fed back like crazy because it's a hollow body guitar." Cragg addressed the issue by adding sound posts underneath the bridge, a mod that can be easily reversed by the future owner.
Westerbeke's family say sharing their father's collection with the world is both an emotional and fulfilling task. "Every guitar meant something to my dad," says his daughter Julia Westerbeke. "They weren't just instruments to him. They were like living pieces of history. He'd light up when telling you where he found one, who had played it, or what made its sound special."
His son-in-law Matt Quinn, deeply familiar with the collection, adds, "We all grew up hearing these guitars. It's hard to let them go, but we know other musicians and collectors will treasure them the way he did. That would've meant a lot to him."
Though Dave Westerbeke passed away in 2022, his voice, style, and spirit live on through his family, his collection, his beloved home of Mill Valley and the music of the country-rock band he co-founded with Cragg in the 2000s. Inspired by Westerbeke's family history, including stories of ranches, rumrunners, and red trucks, Buck Nickels and Loose Change became an outlet for songs that blended Bakersfield grit with Marin's soulful polish.
For those lucky enough to secure one of Westerbeke's guitars, they'll be acquiring more than a beautifully crafted instrument — they'll be taking home a piece of a life spent in service to song, tone, and the unshakable joy of playing. "This collection captures the essence of California's music legacy," says Piscopo. "It's an honor for us to carry it forward."
Two other collections help shape this auction. One is the BeatHaven Collection, a capsule collection of 26 guitars and amps that any serious collector would covet, and includes such jewels as a 1954 Fender Stratocaster Sunburst, a significant piece of Fender history from the first production year of the model and featuring a body date of 5/54 and a neck date of TG-3-54; a 1962 Fender Stratocaster in Olympic White, a custom color-option finish in 1962, making this model rarer than standard sunburst finishes; and a circa-1950 Fender Broadcaster Butterscotch Blonde solid body that's been expertly restored by Clive Brown, known for his historically accurate restorations.
The tightly curated Sarantakos Collection is a highlight of the event as well. Magician Criss Angel and his brothers, JD and Costa, have played together in various bands for many years; before emerging as one of the world's most renowned magicians and illusionists, Criss started out as a musician. This collection features an eclectic mix of guitars including rare and one-of-a-kind pieces, each handpicked by the Sarantakos family for its uniqueness and significance.
Notable lots from the collection include a 1959 Gibson Les Paul Sunburst, the most celebrated year for Gibson Les Paul guitars, with originals being among the most sought-after and valuable electric guitars in history, as well as a cherry circa 1961 Gibson Les Paul SG which represents a pivotal moment in Gibson's history. This model was introduced as a radical redesign of the Les Paul, featuring a thinner, double-cutaway mahogany body with pointed horns, enhancing upper-fret access and making it one of Gibson's most ergonomic and aggressive designs. These early SG-style Les Pauls are particularly collectible, as by 1963 the Les Paul name was dropped entirely from the model, making these transitional guitars highly sought after.
Also from the Sarantakos Collection comes a trove of early and dramatic double-necked Gibsons such as this circa-1969 Gibson EDS-1275 Sunburst Solid Body. This guitar is an extremely rare variation of Gibson's iconic double-neck design. Unlike the traditional 6/12-string configuration, this model features a regular 6-string neck (24 3/4" scale) and a short-scale 6-string neck (15 3/4" scale), making it a highly unusual and potentially special-order instrument. Adding to its rarity is the sunburst finish, which is seldom seen on this model.
