David Gilmour's Auction Breaks Numerous Records

Mark from Murrieta

Blues Junior
Gilmour's legendary 1969 Black Strat took in $3,975,000, establishing a new world auction record for any guitar sold at auction — ever. Of course, this was the axe heard on “Comfortably Numb,” “Shine on You Crazy Diamond,” “Money” and many other Pink Floyd classics.

The 1969 Martin D-35 Gilmour used on "Wish You Were Here" was up first, and—after selling for $1,095,000—immediately became the most valuable acoustic guitar ever sold, according to Christie's. The pre-auction estimate for the guitar? $10,000-$20,000.

Gilmour's Olympic White "#0001" Fender Stratocaster—which he used on “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)”—was sold for $1,815,000, making it, according to Christie's, the most valuable Strat ever sold at auction.

Speaking of Strats, Gilmour's Candy Apple Red 1984 Fender Strat—which he used throughout the A Momentary Lapse of Reason and The Division Bell era—brought in $615,000.

Not content with merely setting records for Strats and acoustics, Gilmour also set an auction record for a Les Paul, after his 1955 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop fetched $447,000.
 

JPsuff

Blackstar Artist
Kinda sad actually.

Selling his three main Strats as well as the Martin just means that the David Jon Gilmour era is officially over.

I know he's 73 and that all things come to an end... but still. :(
 

PapaBear

Guit Fiddlier
Kinda sad actually.

Selling his three main Strats as well as the Martin just means that the David Jon Gilmour era is officially over.

I know he's 73 and that all things come to an end... but still. :(
I don't know, Clapton sold off all his iconic guitars and still continues to play
 

MikeR

Guitar Challenged
Staff member
Kinda sad actually.

Selling his three main Strats as well as the Martin just means that the David Jon Gilmour era is officially over.

I know he's 73 and that all things come to an end... but still. :(

Not to worry: In an interview with Rolling Stone at the time the auction was announced, Gilmour underscored that the sale should not be interpreted as a step toward retirement. Instead, he said, he was merely cleaning house. “Retiring is not a hard and fast thing for me in my life,” he said. “I don’t really have to retire. I don’t have to say those words. I don’t have to state that have retired or anything like that. If I retire, it will be a quiet, unnoticeable process at some point. But I’m not at that moment.”

“I’m both sad with losing some of the instruments and relieved to get this thing dealt with and that it will be doing some good. If I need a particular guitar, I’ll go out and buy another one. They are the tools of my trade. They have given me music, but in the end, they are the tools that I use.”

BTW, Colts owner Jim Irsay bought the D-35 as well.
 

david moon

Attempting the Blues
So the guitars are valuable because of their provenance, not any intrinsic characteristics.

I want to buy Mark Knopfler's guitar so I can play like him!
 

JPsuff

Blackstar Artist
So the guitars are valuable because of their provenance, not any intrinsic characteristics.

I want to buy Mark Knopfler's guitar so I can play like him!

Agreed.

I've always felt that way about "signature" or "designed by" guitars. It's all just marketing bullshit.
 

MarkDyson

Blues Hound Wannabe
Kinda sad actually.

Selling his three main Strats as well as the Martin just means that the David Jon Gilmour era is officially over.

I know he's 73 and that all things come to an end... but still. :(

In the article I read Gilmour said it was kind of a wrench to part with them but in the end they're just tools for his trade and he has lots of others, some identical in character to the ones he sold off. He might still have some life left in him. :Beer:

EDIT: Should have read the whole thread before commenting; points already covered. :cool:
 

matonanjin

Chubby, old guy trying to play some blues.
I don't know, Clapton sold off all his iconic guitars and still continues to play
Twice!
Clapton famously held the Crossroads Auction where he sold Blackie and Brownie and many others. One of which, of course, held the record for a guitar sold at auction until the subject of this discussion.

But much more quietly he sold off about 30 guitars at a Private Sale at Gruhn Guitars a year or two ago. This article just describes the collection but no longer shows any prices. I know the Strats went for around $30,000 each. A Strat you could buy off the shelf at Gruhn's or anywhere for $2,000. But with EC's you got an autographed photograph of him playing the guitar on stage!;)
In defense of them, George said they were incredibly nice playing guitars. Something about the necks on them made them really nice playing.
 

PapaBear

Guit Fiddlier
Twice!
Clapton famously held the Crossroads Auction where he sold Blackie and Brownie and many others. One of which, of course, held the record for a guitar sold at auction until the subject of this discussion.

But much more quietly he sold off about 30 guitars at a Private Sale at Gruhn Guitars a year or two ago. This article just describes the collection but no longer shows any prices. I know the Strats went for around $30,000 each. A Strat you could buy off the shelf at Gruhn's or anywhere for $2,000. But with EC's you got an autographed photograph of him playing the guitar on stage!;)
In defense of them, George said they were incredibly nice playing guitars. Something about the necks on them made them really nice playing.
I know Clapton likes low frets
 
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