59
The Goo Goo Dolls | Tim Pierce "Iris" Studio-Used, Photo-Matched Flatiron Mandolin (1998)
Currency:USD
Category:Memorabilia / Music Memorabilia
Start Price:100.00 USD
Estimated At:2,500.00 - 5,000.00 USD
SOLD
Sign In To View Winning Bidto
This item SOLD at 2026 Jun 13 @ 14:35UTC-07:00 : PDT/MST
Did you win this lot?
A full invoice should be emailed to the winner by the auctioneer within a day or two.
Bidding deadlines for lots 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96 are synchronized. Their deadlines will extend & end together.
Reserve Lot. Will not exceed the pre-sale low estimate. Status indicated upon placing bid.
The Flatiron Model 1N mandolin (serial #88083975) used by session guitarist Tim Pierce during the recording of "Iris" by The Goo Goo Dolls — the exact instrument used to overdub the signature descending mandolin part on the track, as confirmed by Pierce's signed letter (April 24, 2021) and photo-matched to a photograph of Pierce with the instrument taken at the time of sale, through a partially visible serial number. Accompanied by a handwritten session reference note by Pierce found inside the case, an unopened set of GHS mandolin strings, and a signed letter of authenticity. Tim Pierce directly references this sale on camera in a 2022 Dead Wax YouTube interview, stating: "It was a different mandolin [from this one, that was used] that I sold to a Goo Goo Dolls fan with a letter." Producer Rob Cavallo additionally tells the full story of the session on camera in a video on Pierce's own YouTube channel.
Video Documentation
[YouTube] Tim Pierce: "The BIGGEST No. 1 Song I Ever Did · Has 5 BILLION Streams" (Tim Pierce's own YouTube channel, September 2025 · discusses the mandolin session and 'Iris' hitting 5 billion streams)
[YouTube] Tim Pierce: "The BIGGEST No. 1 Song I EVER Played On · 'IRIS' · Goo Goo Dolls | Producer Rob Cavallo" (Tim Pierce's own YouTube channel · Rob Cavallo tells the full session story on camera)
[YouTube] Dead Wax: "The SECRET Behind the UNIQUE Tuning & Guitar Parts in the Goo Goo Dolls' 'Iris' ft. Tim Pierce" (2022) · Tim Pierce discusses the 'Iris' session and references selling this mandolin on camera
[YouTube] Goo Goo Dolls: "Iris (Behind The Song)" (Official Goo Goo Dolls YouTube channel · Johnny Rzeznik and Robby Takac discuss the creation, cultural impact, and legacy of "Iris")
Photo-Match
This mandolin is photo-matched to a photograph of Tim Pierce with the instrument, taken at the time of sale. The serial number — 88083975 — is partially visible through the soundhole in the reference photograph, providing direct instrument identification beyond standard visual matching. Two dedicated photo-match graphics are included in the photographic documentation accompanying this listing, matching different areas of the instrument.
Historical Context
"Iris" was written by Goo Goo Dolls frontman Johnny Rzeznik for the 1998 film City of Angels and produced by Rob Cavallo. Rzeznik has described drawing on the 1987 German film Wings of Desire — the basis for City of Angels — writing the song from the perspective of the angel protagonist, a figure willing to surrender everything to experience the full range of human emotion. Originally written for the soundtrack, the song was subsequently added to the band's own album Dizzy Up the Girl.
"Iris" spent 18 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart and reached #9 on the Hot 100. According to producer Rob Cavallo, it topped the charts simultaneously across seven radio formats — alternative rock, rock, active rock, AAA, hot AC, AC, and top 40 — and remains the most-played song on North American radio since its release. That airplay record stood for 20 years before being broken by Ed Sheeran. The song earned the band four Grammy nominations — across "Iris" and Dizzy Up the Girl — and won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. The City of Angels soundtrack sold an estimated 15-20 million copies. Rzeznik has noted that the decision to incorporate orchestral strings — a 16-piece ensemble, the first time the band had worked with strings — was a calculated risk that proved transformative, both commercially and in defining the band's trajectory.
Tim Pierce is one of the most prolific and respected session musicians in recorded music, credited on over 1,000 albums including recordings with Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Don Henley, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Christina Aguilera, Sheryl Crow, and Alanis Morissette. He was named one of the top 10 studio guitarists in history by Guitar World magazine.
The Flatiron Mandolin Company was founded in Bozeman, Montana in 1979 and acquired by Gibson in 1987, with production remaining in Bozeman through the late 1980s and into the 1990s. Flatiron's serial number system decodes #88083975 to August 1988 — the first two digits (88) indicating the year, the next two (08) the month, with the remaining digits representing batch and sequential production numbers. This places the mandolin as a handmade Bozeman-built instrument from the post-acquisition but still Montana-focused period, when Flatiron's craftsmanship standards were at their most respected. By the time Pierce brought it to Record One Studio for the "Iris" session in 1998, it was a decade-old working instrument — seasoned, broken in, and entirely consistent with the kind of well-used gear a session musician would reach for.
Recording Use
Per Pierce's signed letter (April 24, 2021): "This Flatiron Mandolin is the exact one I used to overdub on 'Iris' by the Goo Goo Dolls. The session was at 'Record One' Studio, in Sherman Oaks, CA. In attendance: Rob Cavallo, Alan Sides, Johnny Rzeznik, Tim Pierce."
The full story of how Pierce came to play on the session is documented on camera by producer Rob Cavallo: late in the evening at Record One Studio B — where Dr. Dre was simultaneously recording in Studio A — engineer Alan Sides walked in and mentioned needing a mandolin and slide player. The first choice was veteran session musician Dean Parks, who was unavailable. A second engineer suggested Pierce specifically because, in Cavallo's words, "he'll probably play a mandolin that's in guitar tuning" — a practical necessity given the song's unconventional BDDDD-based open tuning. Pierce arrived the following morning with an extensive guitar rig in addition to his small mandolin case; Rzeznik was skeptical, but Cavallo convinced him to let Pierce try. As soon as Pierce played the descending line that opens the song, Cavallo later recalled: "you killed it." The mandolin part was recorded in three takes. Pierce's mandolin work then led directly to him being offered the guitar solo: Cavallo and Rzeznik met in the hallway and said, "What if we just let him try? What if it's awesome?"
In the Dead Wax video, Pierce confirms the mandolin was a Flatiron — this instrument — and directly acknowledges having sold it to a Goo Goo Dolls fan with a letter, confirming the full provenance chain.
Case Contents
Handwritten session reference note: A yellow legal paper note in Pierce's hand retained inside the case, listing songs and instrument designations from other recording sessions in which this mandolin was used. Songs listed include "BETWEEN THE RAINDROPS" (designated "MANDO"), "CARE," "WALLFLOWER," "FISHERMAN 3," "RICHMAN," "WALKIN SHOES," "WOMAN B," and "I MADE IT SO," with reference numbers and instrument codes (G-1 through G-4 for guitar tracks; MANDO for mandolin). This track listing has been identified as corresponding to Care of My Soul by Mark Spiro (1994), an album on which Pierce is credited on guitar and mandolin — confirming the mandolin's active use across professional studio sessions beyond the "Iris" recording. A direct working document from Pierce's use of this instrument across multiple professional sessions.
GHS Classical Mandolin Strings: Unopened set of GHS Ultra Light Gauge strings (Set A240, 009-032, Phosphor Bronze, Battle Creek, Michigan).
Specifications
· Manufacturer: The Flatiron Mandolin Company (Handmade in Bozeman, Montana)
· Model: 1N
· Serial: 88083975 — manufactured August 1988
· Type: Round-back (Neapolitan-style) mandolin
· Top: Spruce, natural/amber finish
· Back/sides: Solid maple or birch
· Neck: Mahogany with rosewood fretboard and dot inlays
· Tuners: Vintage-style metal tuners with white pearloid buttons and ornate engraved plates
· Bridge: Adjustable
· Tailpiece: Metal with fan-shaped cover and individual string hooks
Condition
Good. Wear consistent with active professional use across multiple recording sessions. Plays and sounds well.
Included Items
Original hardshell case (black exterior, gold lining); GHS mandolin string set (unopened); handwritten session reference note by Tim Pierce; signed Letter of Authenticity from Tim Pierce (dated 4/24/2021).
1 photo. Used CD copy of Dizzy Up the Girl (Goo Goo Dolls, 1998). Used CD single, "Iris" (Goo Goo Dolls).
Provenance
Acquired from a friend of Tim Pierce via Reverb, with Pierce providing a signed letter of authenticity at request. Pierce subsequently referenced this sale on camera in the Dead Wax YouTube interview (August 2022): "It was a different mandolin that I sold to a Goo Goo Dolls fan with a letter." Rob Cavallo additionally confirms the recording session and Pierce's role on camera on Pierce's own YouTube channel.
Accompanied by a signed Letter of Authenticity from Tim Pierce (dated April 24, 2021), which states in full:
· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·
"This Flatiron Mandolin is the exact one I used to overdub on 'Iris' by The Goo Goo Dolls. The session was at 'Record One' Studio, in Sherman Oaks, CA. In attendance: Rob Cavallo, Alan Sides, Johnny Rzeznik.
Tim Pierce
Signed 4/24/2021"
· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·
Nostalgia Bandit Letter of Provenance
This lot will be accompanied by a Nostalgia Bandit Letter of Provenance — a document printed on official Nostalgia Bandit letterhead, signed by Nostalgia Bandit's principal, and affixed with the official Nostalgia Bandit embossed seal. The Letter of Provenance reproduces the complete final auction description for this lot in full, memorializing all provenance documentation, attribution, supporting evidence, and condition details as presented herein. It is designed to travel with the lot through all future ownership transfers as a permanent, platform-independent physical record of the item's documented history.
Shipping & Measurements
FIRST AND THIRD PARTY SHIPPING OPTIONS AVAILABLE. Contact Nostalgia Bandit for a shipping quote: shipping@nostalgiabandit.com
» Mandolin: 25 x 9.5 x 1.5" · 2 lbs.
» Case: 27 x 11 x 3" · 1.90 lbs.
Auction Location:
14545 W Grand Ave STE 106 PMB 101, Surprise, Arizona, 85374, United States
Taxes:
| Tax | Rate | Desc. |
| AZ |
8.35% |
Arizona State Tax |
Buyer's Premiums:
| From (Incl.) | To (Excl.) | Premium |
| 0.00 |
Infinite |
20% |
Additional Fees:
| Fee | Amount | Applicable Locations | Applied To |
| Credit Card Processing Fee |
3%
|
Not Applicable
|
This fee applies to the total of the invoice
|
Shipping Details:
Shipping, handling, and insurance are not included in the purchase price and will be invoiced separately. Most items are eligible for in-house shipping from Nostalgia Bandit — see the individual lot description. Items requiring third-party shipping will be noted in the lot description; recommended providers and contact information are available on the Shipping & Fulfillment page at nostalgiabandit.com. Buyers may also arrange their own licensed and insured shipper. All shipments require signature confirmation and full insurance coverage. Buyers are responsible for all duties, VAT, tariffs, and import costs. Local pickup available by appointment. For shipping quotes prior to bidding, email your address and lot number(s) to shipping@nostalgiabandit.com.
Payment Details:
Payment is due within 5 calendar days of invoice.
Nostalgia Bandit accepts major credit cards and may accept alternative payment methods upon request.
Invoices may be paid using the credit card on file or by contacting us directly to arrange payment.
Shipping, handling, and insurance are invoiced separately unless otherwise noted.
Please contact us promptly with any questions regarding your invoice or payment arrangements.
Accepted Payment Methods:
- VISA
- Master Card
- AMEX
- Discover
- Money Order/Bank Draft
- Wire Transfer
- Multiple Credit Cards
- ACH
Nostalgia Bandit LLC
Buyer Terms & Conditions
These Buyer Terms & Conditions (“Terms”) apply to all sales conducted by Nostalgia Bandit LLC (“NB,” “we,” or “us”). By registering to bid or placing a bid, you agree to be bound by these Terms.
1. Contract Formation
NB acts solely as agent for the consignor. NB is not the seller. Placing a bid constitutes an irrevocable offer to purchase. The contract is formed upon acceptance of the winning bid by the auctioneer or platform at the close of the auction.
2. Online-Only Auctions
All bidding is conducted online only. Some auctions may include a live-streamed auctioneer and some may not. The same bidding rules apply to all auctions. NB reserves the right to withdraw any lot, refuse any bid, resolve bidding disputes, and regulate the conduct of the auction in its sole discretion. Certain lots may be offered subject to a confidential reserve. If a reserve is not met, the lot will remain unsold. Any reserve, if applicable, will not exceed the published low pre-sale estimate.
3. Buyer’s Premium & Fees
A 20% Buyer's Premium is added to the hammer price of all lots, which includes the iCollector online service fee. An additional 3% credit card processing fee will be added at checkout for payments made by credit card; payments made by ACH or wire transfer are not subject to this fee.
4. Sales Tax
Applicable sales tax will be added to the purchase price as required by law based on the delivery location and the nature of the transaction.
5. As-Is / No Reliance
All property is sold AS IS, WHERE IS, with all faults. Descriptions, estimates, and opinions are statements of judgment, not guarantees. Buyers are responsible for their own inspection and evaluation. No warranty or representation is made as to condition, authenticity, provenance, completeness, or operability except as expressly stated. Electronic items are sold as-is, untested unless otherwise stated, and may not include power supplies, accessories, or cables unless specifically described and shown in photographs. Certain electronic items may originate from other countries and may require voltage converters, adapters, or other modifications for use. Any testing, compatibility verification, or modification is at the buyer’s sole risk.
6. Payment & Default
Buyers acknowledge that iCollector may automatically charge the registered payment method on file within 24 hours of auction close. Payment is otherwise due within 5 calendar days of invoice. Payment is due within 5 calendar days of invoice unless otherwise stated. Failure to pay may result in cancellation of the sale, resale of the property, forfeiture of payments, and recovery of costs. NB reserves the right to charge the buyer’s registered payment method, assess late fees, and/or pursue legal remedies for non-payment. NB may reject future bids from any buyer who fails to complete a transaction. Although title passes at the fall of the hammer, NB retains a possessory lien on the property until full payment has been received and cleared. Property will not be released until payment clears. By registering to bid, buyers agree not to initiate chargebacks or payment reversals without first contacting NB to resolve any issue in good faith.
7. Shipping & Risk of Loss
Title and risk of loss pass to the buyer at the fall of the hammer. Property will be released for shipment or pickup only upon receipt of cleared payment in full. Shipping, insurance, handling, customs, and related costs are the buyer's responsibility. All packages shipped by NB will require signature confirmation upon delivery. Buyers are responsible for arranging shipment within a reasonable time after payment.
Full-value insurance is required on all shipped lots. Declared value for shipping insurance shall equal the hammer price plus buyer's premium; under-declaration is not permitted. All shipments must use carriers that provide signature confirmation and full declared-value coverage. For lots shipped in-house by NB, accepted carriers are UPS, FedEx and USPS Registered Mail only. For lots shipped via third-party providers, the buyer (or their chosen shipper) is responsible for selecting an appropriate carrier and arranging full-value insurance through that carrier or an independent insurer.
8. Shipping Options & Third-Party Handling
Shipping, handling, and insurance are not included in the Hammer Price or Buyer's Premium. All shipping and fulfillment costs are assessed separately and are the sole responsibility of the buyer.
NB offers in-house shipping for eligible lots, subject to availability and lot-specific requirements. NB reserves the right to require third-party shipping for any lot at its sole discretion, including but not limited to lots requiring specialized handling due to size, weight, fragility, value, or other considerations. Where third-party shipping is required, NB will provide contact information for one or more recommended providers, and the buyer may use a provider of their own choosing.
Regardless of shipping method, all shipments must comply with the insurance and carrier requirements set forth in Section 7. Risk of loss in transit lies with the buyer in all cases. Local pickup is available where applicable. Buyers should note that applicable sales tax may apply to transactions involving local pickup.
International buyers are solely responsible for compliance with all applicable import regulations, customs declarations, duties, and taxes. NB will accurately declare the full hammer price plus buyer's premium on all customs documentation. Requests to under-declare value, mark shipments as 'gift,' or otherwise misrepresent the transaction to customs authorities will be declined.
9. Returns & Claims
All sales are final unless expressly stated otherwise in writing. Any claim must be submitted in writing within seven (7) days of receipt of the property.
10. Platform Disclaimer
NB is not responsible for errors, interruptions, delays, or failures of third-party bidding platforms or internet services.
11. Limitation of Liability
NB’s liability to a buyer shall not exceed the purchase price actually paid. NB shall not be liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages.
12. Force Majeure
NB shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performance due to circumstances beyond its reasonable control.
13. Governing Law & Venue
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Arizona. Venue is exclusively in Maricopa County, Arizona.
14. Claims & Concerns
Information regarding good-faith inquiries concerning ownership or title may be directed to us via the Contact page.