Advertisement

David Gilmour’s Pink Floyd guitars break auction records

His collection sells for £17m, with proceeds to ClientEarth

Trending Now

David Gilmour’s collection of 126 guitars was auctioned off at Christie’s in New York yesterday, achieving a total sale of £16,935,185 – the most valuable musical instruments sale in auction history.

The prize lot was Gilmour’s 1969 Black Fender Stratocaster – ‘The Black Strat’ – integral to the recording of many Pink Floyd albums, including The Wall and Wish You Were Here. It sold for $3,975,000, setting a world auction record for a guitar.

Order the latest issue of Uncut online and have it sent to your home!

Advertisement

Gilmour donated the proceeds from the auction to climate crisis charity ClientEarth. “The global climate crisis is the greatest challenge that humanity will ever face, and we are within a few years of the effects of global warming being irreversible,” he said in a statement “As Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old Swedish climate activist said in a speech earlier this year, ‘Either we choose to go on as a civilisation, or we don’t’. The choice really is that simple, and I hope that the sale of these guitars will help ClientEarth in their cause to use the law to bring about real change. We need a civilised world that goes on for all our grandchildren and beyond in which these guitars can be played and songs can be sung.”

Gilmour’s Martin D-35, played on “Wish You Were Here” and “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” sold for $1,095,000. A 1954 White Fender Stratocaster used on “Another Brick in the Wall (Parts 2 and 3)”, sold for $1,815,000. A 1955 Gibson Les Paul, famous for Gilmour’s guitar solo on “Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)” sold for $447,000, a new auction record for a Gibson Les Paul, while a rare Gretsch White Penguin 6134 purchased by Gilmour in 1980 for his private collection, also realized $447,000 — a new auction record for a Gretsch.

The August 2019 issue of Uncut is on sale from June 13, and available to order online now – with Bruce Springsteen on the cover. Inside, you’ll find The Rolling Stones, The Raconteurs, Woodstock, Black Sabbath, Beak>, Doves, Jimmy Cliff, Billy Childish, the Flamingo Club and more. Our 15-track CD also showcases the best of the month’s new music, including The Black Keys, 75 Dollar Bill, House And Land, Trash Kit, Mega Bog and more.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Latest Issue

Advertisement

Features

Advertisement