A c.1960s Dynacord electric guitar prototype in red finish with gold wire frame body owned and played by Randy Bachman, who has sold 40 million records worldwide as a member of The Guess Who, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, and as a solo artist. From Bachman's personal collection.

Dynacord (Germany) guitars were made by Weston, an Italian brand, with less than 100 examples of these wire frame instruments known to exist. The black body/chrome frame variant is said to be more plentiful than the red and gold version, however this particular example is unlike the rest. Said to be a prototype, it certainly exhibits unique features typical of a work-in-progress model.

The neck bears the hallmarks of 1960s Italian design, with large dot inlays on its bound fretboard, and an asymmetrical 3x3 headstock design that evokes Wandré styling. The body, while slightly different in shape to what would become the final look of the Cora model, shares the same solid center portion and wire frame mounting as later examples.

Notably, this instrument is currently non-functional: it lacks a bridge and the nut is unsecured, and it has no electronic components save for an attached cable, a unique feature that does not carry over to the released version of the Cora.

PROVENANCE From The Collection of Randy Bachman

Guitars & Instruments, Randy Bachman