Pecka Wahlström's Musical Instrument Collection

After devoting a significant portion of his youth to hockey in the 1970s, Pecka Wahlström, a native of Sundsvall, Sweden, eventually hung up his goalie gloves and began dedicating more of his free time to playing the guitar. Along with playing the guitar, he started collecting these instruments, with a Gretsch Anniversary '58 being the cornerstone of his collection. Over the following decades, Pecka expanded his collection with numerous guitars, basses, and amplifiers. Most of these instruments were used regularly, and he was more than willing to lend them to his children, friends, and passing musicians.
For Pecka, collecting was not just about investment; it was about the beauty of the instruments. They were like his artworks, adorning the walls and floors of his home. They spoke to him and served a musical function. He acquired instruments not only for their investment value but because they told a story, felt good, and sounded great.
From the mid-1990s and over a decade, the barn on his property in Skjollsta, just outside Härnösand, unofficially became a blues club and a stop for many Swedish and foreign blues artists. The idea for these blues nights was born at Bengans record store in Gothenburg when Pecka suggested to a member of the blues band Instigators that they should visit Skjollsta on their next tour. The first home concert led to several more, and over the years, many artists enjoyed Pecka's hospitality, good food, and playing on his home stage, often using his guitars, basses, and amplifiers. Musicians like Sven Zetterberg, Brewer Phillips, Chuck Hall, Rusty Zinn, Rambling Minds, Bluebirds, Instigators, Wentus Blues Band, and Little Jenny and the Blue Beans were among those who stopped by Skjollsta during their tours through the country.
The family has now decided to sell his collection as Pecka was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease a decade ago and is no longer able to care for his beloved collection. The hope is that these instruments will continue to bring joy and inspire new encounters among music enthusiasts.