“I said, ‘If you don't want it, I'll have it,’ very calmly, trying to control myself. It's the best Strat I've ever had”: Gary Moore's iconic 1961 Strat is up for sale – alongside his ‘Still Got the Blues’ ’59 Gibson Les Paul

A number of Gary Moore's most prestigious items are heading to auction at Bonhams in November – including two of his most recognizable electric guitars, alongside amps and stage clothing from his personal collection.

The auction, titled The Gary Moore Collection: The Final Encore, will take place on November 20, with a free exhibition at Bonhams New Bond Street in London.

“Gary Moore didn’t just play the guitar – he lived through it,” comments Claire Tole-Moir, Head of the Popular Culture department at Bonhams.

“He pushed the boundaries of what the guitar could do, experimenting in numerous styles throughout his illustrious career.

“It has been a real honor for Bonhams to have offered his collection over the last 10 years, and The Final Encore auction promises to be a worthy tribute to Moore and his legendary collection.”

Among the collection is his Fiesta Red ’61 Stratocaster – one of Moore's longest-serving instruments, and, arguably, the second most associated with him. It is estimated to sell for between £200,000 and £300,000 ($267,000 and $400,000).

According to author Tony Bacon, Moore purchased the Strat in the early ’80s, while on a shopping trip with King Crimson's Greg Lake.

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“We found it in a shop called John King's... Greg tried it out but he didn't like it because it had a few scratches on it. He likes his guitars to be real immaculate,” recalled Moore.

“And I said, ‘Well, you're not going to get one like this that is immaculate, they stopped making them in ’62 and on most of them the paint's worn off so you can't get that particular color.

“I said, ‘If you don't want it, I'll have it,’ very calmly, trying to control myself! It's great, it's the best Strat I've ever had – it's the best Strat I've ever played, I think.”

The Strat was used extensively on 1982's Corridors of Power, and can also be heard on 1990's Still Got the Blues, specifically on the tracks Too Tired and Moving On. He also played it at Fender's 50th Anniversary concert at Wembley Arena in September 2004, where he gave an explosive rendition of Hendrix's Red House.

Moore's ‘Stripe’ – his iconic 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard – is also available for private sale via Bonhams. Moore purchased this guitar in 1988 from guitarist Phil Harris, who called it “his soulmate in a guitar.”

Moore was partial to its tone, which is unusually bright, even comparing it to a Strat. In fact, it quickly became his most recorded guitar, featuring on Still Got the Blues, After the War, Oh Pretty Woman, Walking by Myself, and many others.

The rest of the sale includes a Gibson Les Paul Standard LPR9 Aged Prototype, a Peter Green/Gary Moore Model from 2010, estimated at £60,000 - £80,000 ($80,000 - $107,000.) The guitar was delivered to Moore in time for his 2010 tour, and was played for the encore song, Parisienne Walkways.

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The original Gibson pickups were replaced with a set of Bare Knuckle PG Blues, since Moore thought they were a little closer to the sound of ‘Greeny’ – the ex-Peter Green ’59 Les Paul Standard he once owned.

This prototype would be the last guitar the legendary guitarist would play live in front of an audience, at the Kremlin Palace, Moscow on October 30, 2010.

Other highlights of the sale include a 1963 Fender Tele ($16,000 - $24,000 estimate), 1960 Gibson ES-335TD ($20,000 - $27,000 estimate), 1962/3 Gibson SG Les Paul ($13,300 - $20,000 estimate), and 1966/1967 Marshall 1962 “Bluesbreaker” JTM Mk. IV combo amp ($10,000 - $13,400).

Head over to Bonhams to view The Gary Moore Collection: The Final Encore.

Back in 2022, Bonhams auctioned off a third sale of Moore's gear, which included a 1966 Marshall JTM45, 2009 Les Paul Standard 1959 reissue (nicknamed ‘Frankfurt’), and a 1988 Jackson Custom Shop build with flags of the world artwork.