Legendary Fleetwood Mac and ZZ Top Basses Auctioned by Jim Irsay]

The record-breaking sales of Jim Irsay’s most notorious electric guitars have understandably grabbed the headlines after last week’s auction, but there were some notable developments with regard to his bass guitars, too.

The billionaire businessman passed away aged 65 last year, leaving behind the world’s most ridiculous collection of guitars and music memorabilia, and while David Gilmour’s Strat sold for a mind-boggling $14.5 million, a number of Irsay’s most historically significant four-strings also racked up impressive sales figures during the New York auction.

Take John McVie’s custom Alembic bass, for instance. It was used to record Fleetwood Mac’s timeless classic – and Formula 1 anthem – The Chain for 1977’s mega-selling album, Rumours.

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(Image credit: Christie’s Auctions)

For lovers of slightly more ridiculous instruments, Dusty Hill’s sheepskin-covered bass, which features a striking ZZ Top inlay and starred in the music video for Legs, fell just short of six figures.

Bass gutiars from the Jim Irsay Collection, sold at auciton in March 2026

(Image credit: Christie’s Auctions)

The Explorer-style Dean sold for $95,250, having been a prominent part of ZZ Top’s chart-bothering Eliminator era, which was famous for some truly bonkers instruments. Beneath the shag of its fluffy headstock, gold-plated Schaller tuners can be found. It also sports a single double-coil pickup and a black-and-gold-plated Badass tailpiece and bridge.

“One night, I received a 3 am phone call, it’s Gibbons,” Dean Zelinsky recalls of the build. “He was on tour in the UK and had the guys from Def Leppard with him. He wanted to hook them up with some Dean Guitars.

Dusty Hill's Legs Dean bass, sold at auciton in March 2026

(Image credit: Christie’s Auctions)

“At the very end of the conversation, Billy drops the line, ‘I’m sending you some sheepskins I purchased while in Scotland, I want you to put them on some guitars.’

“I cleared a path down the center with electric horse shears to accept the pickups, tailpiece, and strings. And I remember we were still gluing the fur on the tuning keys when the FedEx driver showed up to pick up the guitars.”