The legendary electric guitar known as the “Black Strat,” extensively played by David Gilmour of Pink Floyd fame, was auctioned at Christie’s for a staggering $14.55 million US, setting a new record for the most expensive guitar ever sold. The iconic instrument was swiftly acquired by an unnamed buyer after a fierce bidding war lasting around 20 minutes.
This sale surpassed the previous record set at a 2020 Julien’s auction when Kurt Cobain’s Martin guitar from the MTV Unplugged performance fetched $6.01 million. Gilmour acquired the black Fender Stratocaster in 1970 in New York as a replacement after Pink Floyd’s equipment was stolen during a U.S. tour. He later described it as his primary guitar, used extensively across various projects.
The guitar, which underwent multiple modifications and was once displayed at the Hard Rock Café, regained prominence during Pink Floyd’s reunion at Live 8 in 2005. Gilmour, who sold the Black Strat in 2019 for charity purposes to Jim Irsay, owner of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, saw it go under the hammer once again at the recent auction event featuring items from Irsay’s collection.
The Black Strat was not the only notable sale that evening, as four other guitars also entered the top 10 list of most expensive guitars ever sold at auction. Among them were Jerry Garcia’s custom guitar, one of Kurt Cobain’s guitars, and two guitars previously owned by Eric Clapton. The auction concluded with all 44 lots being sold, totaling over $84 million, inclusive of the auction house commission.
