Neal Schon’s monstrous 112-strong guitar auction came to a close last Saturday (July 30) and, as expected, the event saw the sale of some seriously expensive electric guitars, including a 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard that sold for $350,000.
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.
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.
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.
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.
