The renowned electric guitar known as the “Black Strat,” extensively used by David Gilmour in Pink Floyd albums and his solo career, was auctioned for a staggering $14.55 million US, setting a new record as the most expensive guitar ever sold. An anonymous buyer acquired this iconic instrument during a live Christie’s auction after a vigorous bidding session lasting about 20 minutes. This sale surpassed the previous record set at a 2020 Julien’s auction when Kurt Cobain’s Martin guitar from MTV Unplugged fetched $6.01 million.
David Gilmour acquired the black Fender Stratocaster in 1970 in New York to replace stolen equipment during an early U.S. tour with Pink Floyd. Gilmour stated in a 2018 interview that this guitar became his primary instrument, used extensively unless a different sound was required. The instrument underwent various modifications over the years and was prominently featured during Pink Floyd’s reunion performance at Live 8 in London’s Hyde Park in 2005 after being displayed at the Hard Rock Café for a period.
Following Gilmour’s decision to sell the Black Strat in 2019 for charity purposes, Jim Irsay, the late owner of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, acquired it for $3.975 million. The recent Christie’s auction, part of a series of auctions featuring items from Irsay’s music collection, showcased a range of iconic guitars and memorabilia owned by him.
In addition to the Black Strat, several other guitars achieved record prices at the auction, with four guitars entering the top 10 list of the most expensive guitars sold at auction. These included Jerry Garcia’s custom guitar, used extensively with the Grateful Dead and in his final performance, which sold for $11.56 million. Another highlight was one of Kurt Cobain’s guitars used on Nirvana albums, including in the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” music video, which fetched $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 top 10 list.
Overall, all 44 lots offered at the auction were sold, resulting in a total evening sales figure of over $84 million, including the auction house commission.
