David Gilmour to Auction More Than 120 Guitars Through Christie’s

Legendary Pink Floyd guitarist and singer David Gilmour is putting numerous items from his personal guitar collection up for auction through Christie’s. The sale will take place in New York City on June 20, with all sales proceeds benefitting charitable causes. Estimates on the guitars range from $300 to $150,000. 

Comprising more than 120 guitars, the collection focuses on a selection of Fender Broadcasters, Esquires, Telecasters and Stratocasters. The sale will be the largest and most comprehensive collection of guitars to be offered at auction.

Said Gilmour: “These guitars have been very good to me and many of them have given me pieces of music over the years. They have paid for themselves many times over, but it’s now time that they moved on. Guitars were made to be played and it is my wish that wherever they end up, they continue to give their owners the gift of music. By auctioning these guitars I hope that I can give some help where it is really needed and through my charitable foundation do some good in this world. It will be a wrench to see them go and perhaps one day I’ll have to track one or two of them down and buy them back!”

For more details on the auction, look for an exclusive interview with Gilmour in the May 2019 issue of Guitar World. 

Among the many highlights from the collection include:

Gilmour's 1969 Black Fender Stratocaster, purchased in 1970 at Manny's on West 48th Street in New York City (Estimate $100,000-$150,000). ‘The Black Strat’ quickly became Gilmour’s primary performing and recording instrument for the next 15 years and it was extensively modified to accommodate his evolving style and performance requirements. The guitar was played on “Money,” “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” and the legendary solo on “Comfortably Numb.” It was key to the development of the Pink Floyd sound and was instrumental in the recording of landmark albums such as The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), Wish You Were Here (1975), Animals (1977) and The Wall (1979). The guitar can also be heard on solo albums including David Gilmour (1978), About Face (1984), On An Island (2006) and Rattle That Lock (2015).

Gilmour's 1954 White Fender Stratocaster #0001 (estimate: $100,000-$150,000). Gilmour used the guitar on “Another Brick In The Wall (Parts Two and Three),” as well as onstage.

The 1955 Gibson Les Paul used on the solo to the 1979 number one single "Another Brick In The Wall (Part Two)” (estimate $30,000-$50,000)

A rare Gretsch White Penguin 6134 purchased for Gilmour’s private collection (estimate:  $100,000-$150,000).

A Candy Apple Red 1984 Stratocaster 57V (estimate: $15,000-25,000), which became Gilmour’s primary electric guitar during the Eighties and Nineties, used during recording and touring of the Pink Floyd albums A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987) and The Division Bell (1994).

An early 1954 Stratocaster (estimate: $50,000-70,000), believed to be one of a group of Strats produced by Fender prior to its commercial production release in October 1954.

Other guitars include:

A 1957 ‘Ex-Homer Haynes’ Stratocaster, with gold plated hardware and finished in the rare custom color of Lake Placid Blue (estimate: $60,000-90,000).

A 1969 D-35 Martin purchased on the streets of New York in 1971, and used as both Pink Floyd and David Gilmour's main studio acoustic, notably on Wish You Were Here (estimate $10,000-20,000).

A Gibson J-200 Celebrity (1985) acquired from John Illsley of Dire Straits (estimate $3,500-5,500).

A unique Tony Zemaitis (1978) custom acoustic bass guitar (estimate $15,000-25,000).

For more information on the auction, head over to Christie’s.