Nashville, TN (October 23, 2023)—Known for his idiosyncratic music, rock legend Frank Zappa was also a studio maven, and now much of his recording equipment—including his Trident 80B console, tape machines, extensive rack gear, dozens of legendary microphones and more—will head to the auction block November 16-18, 2023.
The Zappa Trust is selling the gear as part of a three-day “Played, Worn, & Torn: Rock ‘N’ Roll Iconic Guitars And Memorabilia” auction by Julien’s Auctions, being held both online and at the Hard Rock Café Nashville.
While high-end home studios are common today, Zappa was one of the pioneers of the concept when he built the expansive Utility Muffin Research Kitchen facility in his Laurel Canyon home during the late 1970s. It was later joined by the UMRK Mobile Studio, a bus-based studio previously owned by Mike Love of The Beach Boys. The two facilities were well-appointed when it came to gear, as the auction offerings make clear.
Upwards of 300 Zappa items will go up for sale—instruments, stage costumes and props, home furnishings, road cases, vintage synths, percussion, posters, artwork, guitar amps, drum machines, consumer stereo gear, a Coke vending machine and even multiple wall panels from his rehearsal studio, autographed by Tom Petty, AC/DC, Stray Cats and other notable acts.
Classic Tracks: Frank Zappa’s “Dancin’ Fool”
Nonetheless, it’s the recording and live sound gear that will be of interest to studio pros, most prominently the Trident Series 80B 30-channel desk from Zappa’s Intercontinental Absurdities (ICA) production company, which also includes various cables and a Brainstorm Electronics Model TBR-4 receiver with power supply adapter.
A plethora of Neumann mics will be on offer, including a few favorites that he named, such as “Ghandi, The Peacemaker”—a Neumann U 47 large diaphragm condenser mic, serial number 4245—and “The Genius,” a Neumann M 50b condenser mic, serial number 436. Other U 47 and M 50bs will go up for sale, along with an M 49B, multiple KM 56s and a KM 64.
For AKG fans, an AKG C535 EB engraved “Frank Zappa” will hit the block, along with multiple C 24s, a C 414 EB, multiple C 422 stereo condensers, and an AKG Harry D 99 C binaural dynamic mic. Vintage CAD Equitek E-100 mics will also go up for sale.
A road-cased Ampex AG-440 reel-to-reel tape recorder from the UMRK Mobile Studio will go under the hammer, as will a Sony PCM-3348HR multitrack recorder with remote and meter. Also on hand will be multiple sets of Yamaha NS-10M studio monitors, various power amplifiers, a dbx 900 frame and modules, and numerous rack-mount units.
Of particular note is an outboard rack outfitted with items from across Zappa’s career and after his death, when his music was being digitized for archival purposes. The rack includes an Avalon VT 737sp; two Dangerous Monitor SR/ST units; an Ursa Major Space Station SST-282 used on Joe’s Garage; two dbx 160As and a 162; a Drawmer Quad-Gate DS-404; three UREI Universal Audio 1176LN units; an Eventide Ultra-Harmonizer H3000B; tc electronic System 6000; and both a Euphonix AM713 and Euphonix MA703.
Of course, most rock memorabilia auctions aren’t as focused on studio gear, and more mainstream bidders will still find plenty to check out in the auction catalogs, including guitars once owned by Kurt Cobain and Eric Clapton, clothing, posters and more from ZZ Top, Elvis, The Police, Foo Fighters, Van Halen and many more. If you buy up all that Zappa studio gear, while you’re at it, splash out for the restored 1972 Paul McCartney and Wings double-decker tour bus, so you can load it up and drive everything home.
