The ‘59 Burst was one of 10 six-strings to make six-figures, with the Journey guitarist’s coveted 1977 Les Paul Deluxe, made famous by the band’s smash hit Don’t Stop Believin', selling for a cool $250,000.
Also making its way onto the block was Schon’s prized 1974 Guild F-50R acoustic guitar, which the guitar icon used to write Wheel in the Sky and Patiently in a Denver hotel room with the band's first lead vocalist Steve Perry. That guitar sold for $37,500.
Schon’s extensive catalog also included a second ‘59 Burst, which fetched $300,000, as well as a pair of 1957-dated LPs, selling for $131,250 and $121,875. Two final six-figure Les Pauls, a 1958 Goldtop and 1960 triple-humbucker-equipped Custom, completed the LP lineup, selling for $125,000 and $112,500, respectively.
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1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard(Image credit: Heritage Auctions)
1977 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe(Image credit: Heritage Auctions)
Completing the six-figure family were two ES-335s – a $137,500-priced 1959 model and $100,000-valued 1960 model – and a 1951 Butterscotch Blonde Fender Telecaster, which fetched $112,500.
Other highlights from the assortment of six-strings include four '50s-era Teles – the most expensive of which picked up a $93,750 price tag – and a handful of Stratocasters, including a 1955 Sunburst model and 1964 Candy Apple Red version, which sold for $45,000 and $30,000, respectively.
Aside from the usual Fender- and Gibson-branded suspects, the auction also included a collection of Paul Reed Smith and Schon models. While the Red 1986 Schon NS6 sold for $6,250, the most expensive PRS model – a Tobacco burst solidbody from 2000 – went for $12,500.
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Despite the eye-watering magnitude of models that were sold during the auction, a number of Schon’s six-strings still failed to find new owners, and are thus currently sitting in post-auction limbo.
1967 Coral Vincent Bell(Image credit: Heritage Auctions)
1987 Schon Prototype Pearl White(Image credit: Heritage Auctions)
Out of the 20 guitars yet to find a new home, highlights include a 2005 double-neck PRS Dragon axe valued at $37,500, a 1967 Coral Vincent model priced at $6,250 and a 1987 Schon Prototype Pearl White guitar, which is expected to sell for $25,000.
To browse the entire collection of Neal Schon’s guitars, including the ones that are still up for grabs, head over to Heritage Auctions.
Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
