Lot 628: BILLY CORGAN INSCRIBED SMASHING PUMPKINS STAGE USED BASS

A Billy Corgan owned and inscribed Yamaha bass guitar that was sold at a fundraising auction in 2009. The Yamaha BB300 bass is inscribed "Billy Corgan 09 1st SP bass played at the very 1st Pumpkins show July 9th/ 1988" on the body of the guitar and additionally marked "*My Bass*" and has a hand drawn heart with "SP" in the center. The bass comes with the original case and a typed signed letter from Corgan that explains that in the early songwriting days of The Smashing Pumpkins, Corgan would play the bass, and James Iha would play his guitar. Later D'arcy Wretzky used this bass during band practice. A printout image of Corgan signing the bass posted on the online auction site also accompanies the lot. The original auction was arranged to help Laura Masura, the former head of The Smashing Pumpkins fan club whose leg was shattered in a motorcycle accident.