The renowned electric guitar famously used by David Gilmour in Pink Floyd albums and his solo career, known as the “Black Strat,” was sold for a staggering $14.55 million US at a recent Christie’s auction. This sale set a new record for the highest price ever paid for a guitar at auction.
An undisclosed buyer successfully acquired this iconic instrument after a competitive bidding session that lasted around 20 minutes. The Black Strat surpassed the previous record set in 2020 at a Julien’s auction when Kurt Cobain’s Martin guitar from MTV Unplugged fetched $6.01 million.
Originally acquired by Gilmour in 1970 to replace stolen equipment during a Pink Floyd tour in the US, the black Fender Stratocaster became his primary guitar for nearly everything he played. Over the years, the guitar underwent multiple modifications and customizations, gaining a weathered appearance. After being displayed at the Hard Rock Café, it made a notable return during Pink Floyd’s Live 8 reunion performance in London in 2005.
Gilmour described the Black Strat as his go-to instrument for various experimental projects throughout the years. In 2019, he decided to auction it off for charity, and it was purchased by Jim Irsay, the late owner of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, for $3.975 million. The recent Christie’s auction, featuring items from Irsay’s collection, showcased several iconic guitars and music memorabilia.
Apart from the Black Strat, other guitars also made headlines at the auction, with four guitars entering the top 10 list of the most expensive guitars ever sold. Notable sales included Jerry Garcia’s custom guitar, used extensively with the Grateful Dead, which sold for $11.56 million, and one of Kurt Cobain’s guitars from Nirvana albums, including the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” music video, sold for $6.9 million. Additionally, two Eric Clapton guitars, including a Cream-era Gibson SG and the Martin acoustic from MTV Unplugged, also made it to the list.
All 44 lots auctioned on Thursday were sold, with the total sales exceeding $84 million, inclusive of the auction house commission.
