The legendary “Black Strat,” a favorite electric guitar used by David Gilmour in Pink Floyd albums and his solo career, was sold for a staggering $14.55 million US at a recent Christie’s auction. This sale set a new record as the highest price ever paid for a guitar at auction.
After a spirited bidding session lasting about 20 minutes, an anonymous buyer secured this iconic instrument, surpassing the previous record set in 2020 when Kurt Cobain’s Martin guitar sold for $6.01 million at a Julien’s auction.
Originally acquired by Gilmour in 1970 in New York as a replacement for Pink Floyd’s stolen equipment during a U.S. tour, the Black Strat became his primary guitar for various recordings and performances. Over the years, it underwent numerous modifications and customizations, returning to the spotlight prominently during Pink Floyd’s Live 8 reunion in 2005.
Following Gilmour’s decision to sell the Black Strat in 2019 to raise funds for charity, it was purchased by Jim Irsay, the late owner of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, for $3.975 million. The recent auction, featuring a range of iconic guitars and memorabilia from Irsay’s collection, marked one of four auctions this month of the late music enthusiast’s renowned guitar collection.
In addition to the Black Strat’s record-breaking sale, other guitars also made it to the top 10 list of most expensive guitars ever sold at auction. For instance, Jerry Garcia’s custom guitar fetched $11.56 million, one of Kurt Cobain’s guitars sold for $6.9 million, and Eric Clapton’s guitars, including a Cream-era Gibson SG and a Martin acoustic from his MTV Unplugged performance, also commanded high prices.
All 44 items auctioned off that day were sold, with the total sales amounting to over $84 million, including the auction house’s commission.