Justin Vernon Auctioning Off Custom Guitar Made From Whiskey Barrels
Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon recently teamed up with longtime instrument maker Gordy Bischoff to build a handcrafted, custom guitar that is being auctioned off online to benefit the Confluence Community Arts Center in their hometown of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Dubbed “The 1608,” the guitar was made with original white oak wood from Bushmills Irish Whiskey barrels. (Vernon has a marketing deal with the company.)
In this video, you can get a behind-the-scenes peek at how Vernon and Bischoff built their instrument. The guitar (one of four created) is decked out with special features, including one that solves a rather pressing question: Since the guitar is made out of whiskey barrels, does it smell like booze? “I think the final touch for this is in the guitar humidification system,” explains Bischoff in the clip. “In the humidor in the case, I’m gonna add just a little bit of Bushmills whiskey.”
The ax auction ends on November 1st at 6 p.m. PDT. Bidding is currently at $7,100.