This past weekend, rock sextet Wilco hosted their every-other-year Solid Sound Festival on the grounds of Mass MoCA, the sprawling contemporary art complex in North Adams, Massachusetts.
As in years past, Wilco diehards from all over the world arrived en masse to see multiple sets from the group—including a fan-favorite live karaoke night on Friday—and take in the always spectacular installations found throughout the museum complex.
Other acts on the bill included The Feelies, Cate Le Bon, Tortoise, and Jonathan Richman, along with a wide smattering of sound installations, pop-up performances, and collaborations.
For people who pay attention to this sort of thing, Wilco is well-known for their finely curated collection of instruments headquartered at The Loft studio in Chicago. For Solid Sound, master of ceremonies Jeff Tweedy stuck mostly his to early-'60s SGs for the electric numbers and a pair of original Kel Kroydon "Birds" acoustics, in addition to an array of other guitars that came out for specific songs.
These ornate Kel Kroydon models, which have become something of a Tweedy signature, were made by Gibson for just a few years, starting in 1929, and remain exceptionally rare on the vintage market.
However, for players looking for a modern take on them, Waterloo, a sub-brand of the Collings company of Austin, Texas, offers a take on this model, one of which is currently being auctioned by the band, with proceeds going to benefit arts education programming at Mass MoCA.
In contrast to the original Kel Kroydon guitars, which were festooned with peacocks, this Waterloo homage—named the Rockets WL-K—features a pair of rocketships in flight in a similar configuration. Festival-goers on the ground were able to get a preview of this and other Wilco guitars in a display in the museum.
To visit the auction and bid on this custom Waterloo acoustic, click here. Stay tuned for news about more Wilco instruments arriving on Reverb soon.