Lakers Stratocaster to Score Big for Benefit

Fender friend and acclaimed artist Pamelina H. has brought her unmistakable graphic touch to bear on the unusual instrument you see here—a 60th Anniversary Los Angeles Lakers-themed Stratocaster guitar.

Pamelina created the instrument to raise funds for the Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation. It’ll go on the auction block on March 2, 2009, during the Los Angeles Lakers 19th Annual Celebrity Golf Invitational at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif., with an opening bid of $6,000 (all silent bids must be verified). Until that date, the instrument is on display at Guitar Center Hollywood.

The guitar began life as a regular black American Standard Stratocaster, donated to the cause by Fender. By the time Pamelina was finished with it, it was completely repainted, front and back, in purple, blue, black, brown and orange. The front depicts hands grasping for a basketball emblazoned with the Lakers’ 60th anniversary logo, with a hand-painted Lakers logo on the 12th fret. The back depicts banners listing all the team’s 14 championship years. The guitar also features gold hardware and an engraved neck plate.

“It’s just incredible,” said Roberta Mariani, Lakers Youth Foundation associate director. “Pamelina did such an amazing job.”

Straight from the who’d-a thunk-it file, it turns out that the talented Ms. H. is an avid basketball fan who couldn’t wait to get started on the project.

“It was my idea!” Pamelina said excitedly. “I am just such a huge Lakers fan, and it’s been the thrill of a lifetime working with them. I’d like to see this guitar raise as much money as possible for the Lakers Youth Foundation—they’re a real class organization and they do a lot for kids in the Los Angeles community. By contributing artwork, I can help to raise more money than I can personally afford to give.”

The team was founded in 1946 as the Detroit Gems and relocated in 1947 to Minneapolis, where the team took a new name—the Lakers—from Minnesota’s nickname, “Land of 10,000 Lakes.” They relocated again in 1960, to Los Angeles. The famous team has won 14 championships, 29 conference titles and 29 division titles, and has boasted 14 hall of fame players. via