David Gilmour’s Famous ‘Black Strat’ Becomes the Most Expensive Guitar Ever Sold
Trending on Billboard
David Gilmour, lead guitarist and singer of Pink Floyd, achieved a remarkable milestone on March 12 during a Christie’s auction in New York, as his renowned “Black Strat” electric guitar was sold for an unprecedented $14.55 million. This amount marks the highest price ever paid for a guitar at auction. The bidding, which lasted 21 minutes, easily surpassed the previous record held by Kurt Cobain’s 1969 Martin D-18E acoustic guitar, which sold for $6.01 million in 2020. The instrument played a vital role in some of Pink Floyd’s most iconic albums, including 1973’s *The Dark Side of the Moon*, 1975’s *Wish You Were Here*, and 1979’s *The Wall*.
At press time, the identity of the buyer remains undisclosed. Gilmour’s guitar, characterized by scratches and chipped paint, reflects the wear of decades of performances and studio recordings. He purchased the black Fender Stratocaster in 1970 from Manny’s Music store in Manhattan and utilized it for every studio recording with Pink Floyd from 1972 to 1983, as well as during numerous live shows during that period.
The auction featured an array of high-profile items from the collection of the late Jim Irsay, former owner of the Indianapolis Colts and a prominent collector of pop culture memorabilia. Irsay had acquired Gilmour’s guitar for over $5 million during a prior Christie’s auction in 2019.
The sale included several notable guitars from Irsay’s extensive collection, such as one of Jerry Garcia’s custom “Tiger” guitars, which fetched $11.56 million, and the Mustang guitar used by Cobain in the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video, which sold for $6.9 million, establishing a new record for Cobain’s instruments.
The Irsay Collection auction continues through March 17, featuring various rare items up for bid, including a signed Paul McCartney Hofner bass guitar, the handwritten lyrics to “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer,” Eddie Van Halen’s signed “Frankenstrat,” Muhammad Ali’s boxing gloves, and customized equipment once belonging to ZZ Top’s Dusty Hill, among many others.
See latest videos, charts and news
