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Home Artists U2’s Adam Clayton Opens First-Ever Exhibition of Iconic Bass Guitars Collection Heads to Auction

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U2’s Adam Clayton Opens First-Ever Exhibition of Iconic Bass Guitars Collection Heads to Auction

guitarmadridOctober 21, 20252 Mins read128

Photo left to right: Martin Nolan, Executive Director/Co-Founder of Julien’s Auctions, William Doyle CEO Newbridge Silverware & Museum of Style Icons and U2 musician Adam Clayton before the opening of the “Played, Worn & Torn Featuring The Adam Clayton Collection” exhibition at The Museum of Style Icons in Newbridge, Co Kildare, Ireland taken on Oct. 20, 2025

For the first time, bassist Adam Clayton showcases 18 of his most legendary bass guitars in a public exhibition, and after the display the instruments will go under the hammer in one of the year’s major memorabilia auctions.

Starting on October 20, 2025, at The Museum of Style Icons in Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland, the exhibition “Played, Worn & Torn – Featuring The Adam Clayton Collection” offers fans a rare look at the instruments behind four decades of U2’s sound.

Among the treasures on display are Clayton’s 2014 Sherwood-Green Fender Adam Clayton Signature Jazz Bass (played during U2’s Innocence + Experience Tour) estimated at US $40,000–60,000, his 2005 Lakland Joe Osborn J Sunburst (played during the Vertigo Tour on “One,” estimated US $20,000–40,000) and a 2010 Gold-Sparkle Fender Adam Clayton Precision Bass described as a “mistake” by his technician, estimated at US $40,000–60,000.

After its three-week display in Ireland (October 20–November 9, 2025), the collection will move to Nashville, Tennessee, where it will be auctioned by Julien’s Auctions on Thursday, November 20 and Friday, November 21 2025, at the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum, with online bidding available at juliensauctions.com.

Clayton commented on the project: “I’m fortunate enough to have owned many wonderful instruments in my life and I have amassed a very personal collection of basses over the last 40 years. They have all become favourites for one reason or another, a reminder of a particular tour or recording session. I’ll be sad to see these basses go but this is an opportunity to give each and every one of them a new home in the care of a new owner.”

A portion of the proceeds from the auction will benefit MusiCares, the music industry charity dedicated to health and wellbeing.

For collectors and fans of guitar history this is a standout moment: the instruments that helped shape U2’s rhythm section and carry the weight of landmark tours and recordings are heading into the open market. Whether you follow the auction or simply appreciate the legacy, this exhibition and sale mark a major milestone in rock memorabilia.