Listening to Dan Mangan describe his 23-year-old Taylor 310-KCE acoustic guitar, it's clear that the instrument has immense sentimental value to the Vancouver musician.
"There are so many videos of me in my early days stomping around, slamming away on this thing," he tells his TikTok followers in a video posted last year. "There is still blood on the strings."
He explains the guitar's backstory, which was bought for him by his mom and her wife - because if he wanted to be a professional musician, he needed a professional instrument. Mangan then shared that he would be auctioning it off with all proceeds being donated to the National Network of Abortion Funds in the U.S.
The auction ran from November 12 to 19 last year and 17 people bid a total of 61 times until the guitar sold for $7,755 CAD ($5,700 US). Last week, Mangan packed it up and shipped it to the new owner.
He documented the process with his trademark sarcastic sense of humour and explained how the overturning of Roe v. Wade felt like turning back the clocks on women's rights and despite his connection to the guitar he used to write his first three albums, he felt compelled to do something to help the situation.
"There's so much history it would be sad to see it go," he says in one video. "But I will be reassured to know that this is a small gesture that I can do to kick up some dust and try and get some well-needed resources to women and people who need it most down in the States."
The guitar isn't exactly in pristine condition; Mangan admits he has barely played it in a decade and there's a lot of wear and tear including a repaired crack along the back where his wife accidentally sat on it several years ago.
Regardless, someone now owns a piece of Canadian indie music memorabilia and the National Network of Abortion Funds has expressed their gratitude, saying "Thank you for showing up for abortion access."
