WORLD-RENOWNED COLLECTION TO BE SOLD TO RAISE MONEY FOR CHILDHOOD CANCER

 An extremely rare, unique and highly valuable guitar and amplifier collection, known as The Roots of Rock Collection will be sold in 2004.

The Roots of Rock Collection, a world-renowned fine collection of vintage guitars and amplifiers, has been independently valued at around $4-million U.S. and has recently been donated for sale by Toronto businessman and philanthropist Tony Melman. The collection is comprised of over 260 vintage guitars and 50 vintage amplifiers - all in almost perfect condition - compiled over a five-year period. Some of the highlights of the collection include one of the finest 1954 Fender Stratocasters known to exist, every variant of the Gibson Les Paul gold top models produced from 1952 to ’58, and the world’s most comprehensive collection of blonde Gibson electric arch top guitars.

“The purpose was to pay tribute to the artists and guitar makers who collectively gave birth to rock ‘n roll music,” says Melman of the Roots Collection. “It captures the convergence of guitar design and innovation, the spirit of a new culture, and the artistry and sound of pure rock ‘n roll.”

“The Roots of Rock Collection is the most comprehensive collection of guitars and amps I have seen in the last decade,” says Tundra Music owner and original vintage guitar dealer Ed McDonald. “It’s truly unique, comprised of only rare and the best conditioned instruments. One can sense a golden thread of history running through this compilation.”

“From the beginning of rock in the early 1950s through its worldwide explosion in the 1960s, the Roots of Rock Collection covers all the bases with exceptionally fine guitars and amplifiers showcasing the evolution of rock and roll music,” says author and vintage guitar expert Tom Van Hoose.

All proceeds from the sale of the anthology will be placed in an endowment to benefit the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario (POGO) in the areas of childhood cancer research, care, and education.

To document the uniqueness of this collection, a book is being published documenting the Roots of Rock’s inception and early phases, development, and achievement. Quite simply, there is no other collection in the world that so comprehensively captures the history and evolution of guitars throughout the 1950s and ‘60s.