“Ian was always ready to play a stylistically perfect solo for every track he was involved with”: The Les Paul behind the iconic guitar solo on Kate Bush’s Wuthering Heights is now up for auction

The electric guitar featured on Kate Bush’s 1978 debut Wuthering Heights is expected to fetch up to £10,000 at auction.

The 1974 Les Paul Custom belonged to guitarist Ian Bairnson, who played the solo at the end of Wuthering Heights while his arm was in a plaster cast.

Bairnson passed away last year, aged 70. His collection of 12 guitars, including the 1974 Les Paul Custom, and gear including vintage Marshall stacks and a Soldano head, is being auctioned off by Gardiner Houlgate auctioneers in Wiltshire, UK. The total collection is expected to sell for around £30,000.

Guitar expert and auctioneer Luke Hobbs commented: “Ian Bairnson was a musician’s musician, and his guitar used on Wuthering Heights is very relevant to today’s market, considering the enduring appeal of Kate Bush.”

A 20th Anniversary model – as indicated by the 12th fret inlay – the guitar features a Cherry Sunburst finish, with only minor buckle rash and dings. Its original tuners were replaced by a Schaller set, while two coil switches were installed to the control area.

The guitar comes with a Pilot-stenciled hardcase, as well as five sales award discs presented to Bairnson for Pilot singles Magic and January.

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Ian Bairnson was a Scottish session guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his work with Kate Bush and Alan Parsons Project.

In 1973, he joined the Scottish rock group Pilot, scoring UK top 20 singles January and Magic. During his time with Pilot, he met Alan Parsons and later featured on every Alan Parsons Project album, including the 1984 offshoot Keats.

He went on to play on Bush’s first four albums, and session with Kenny Rogers, Tom Jones, Sting, Paul McCartney and Stanley Clark – where his Les Paul was invariably slung around his shoulders.

“Guitar players broadly fall into two main groups – those who consider themselves as Strat players and those who are Les Paul type players,” Bairnson wrote on his website. “I have always loved Les Pauls. Ever since I was about 14 years old I wanted to play one. I prefer the sheer power and kick of a Gibson Les Paul.

“I bought mine as soon as I could afford one. It came from a shop called Take Five in Shaftesbury Avenue in London and cost me 315 pounds in 1974. It is a Custom model but over the years I have changed bits and pieces and now it looks more like a Standard. I suppose it is true to say that I built a career using only a Les Paul and a Marshall 50-watt amplifier.”

“Ian was always ready to play a stylistically perfect solo for every track he was involved with,” Alan Parsons told Guitar World. “The usual process was he would just play it through a few times and I would give him vague directions like ‘Let’s try it starting low and working upwards’ or ‘Let’s try it simpler – less notes.’”

In addition to Bairnson’s Les Paul, the auction will also feature Eric Clapton-used prototype 000-28EC acoustic guitar, a collection of Bernie Marsden’s guitars, a Jaco Pastorius-used Zemaitis bass, two guitars previously owned by Fleetwood Mac’s Peter Green and two of Gary Moore’s Gibson Les Pauls.

For more information about the auction, visit Gardiner Houlgate.