When it comes to musical instruments, the price that we can see guitars go for in particular is spectacular. The vast majority of highly profitable guitars are either played by legends or have been part of a limited edition run. And while some guitars will go through peaks and troughs in terms of value, some have hit a number that is unlikely to be matched by most instruments nevermind guitars.
Who, then, has seen a guitar sell for the highest kind of prices? Here are five of the most costly guitars ever sold.
1959 Les Paul, owned by Peter Green & Gary Moore
Another wonderful piece of kit was the $2m-rated 1959 Les Paul used by Peter Green and Gary Moore. This was a famous guitar, owned by the founder of Fleetwood Mac himself. It’s now a guitar that is used by Kirk Hammett of Metallica. Definitely a guitar that has been in the hands of some pretty impressive musicians, it has to be said.
Gibson J-160E Acoustic-Electric, owned by John Lennon
As one of the most iconic men of his time, John Lennon has gone down in history for far more than just his music. Therefore, the kind of equipment owned used by a visionary tends to fetch a few bucks. The guitar was sold in an auction in 2015 for $2.4m, fetching a healthy price. What more would one imagine from a guitar used by the great John Legend?
Fender Stratocaster, used on ‘Reach Out to Asia’ Charity Event
Another truly famous guitar is the guitar that was part of the Reach Out to Asia event. This event, which took place to try and raise money after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, was a massive success. The guitar itself was sold for a whopping $2.7m at auction as it contained the autographs of some of the biggest names in music.
Legends like Angus and Malcolm Young, Mark Knopfler, Bryan Adams, Sting, Mick Jagger, Brian May, Jimmy Page, David Gilmour and many others had put their signature onto this then record-breaking guitar sale.
Black Strat, owned by David Gilmour
Another legend of the musical scene, David Gilmour of Pink Floyd is world-renowned. An absolutely astounding individual and musician, his guitar playing skills are pretty decent as well. He was able to sell his Black Strat that was part of a 126-guitar auction that he put together to raise funds in the battle against climate change.
This particular guitar raised a whopping $3.9m, part of the $21m raised in total. Not bad!
‘Unplugged’ Guitar, owned by Kurt Cobain
The highest price ever fetched for a guitar is one of the most unique and beautiful ever made. It was, of course, the guitar that Kurt Cobain played during the MTV Unplugged set. It’s an exceptional guitar, and it raised a tremendous $6.01m when it was sold in an auction. Today, it still stands as quite comfortably the highest price ever to be fetched for a guitar. For that reason, it’s truly iconic.