Luxury Lifestyle Magazine For The Affluent
COLLECTION
The World’s Most Expensive Guitar
Guitar: Fender “Black Strat”
Price: $3,975,000
◙ By D’Affluent Magazine
Music sits in the heart and soul of many a person and musical instruments do appeal to some collectors. The guitar is one such instrument. Most musicians especially rock musicians have themselves a guitar collection made up of guitars that either have a certain sound that they like, has some history or back-story, or simply looks cool. Most guitars collected by collectors are guitars played by famous musicians.
To date the world’s most expensive guitar is David Gilmour’s (Pink Floyd) famed “Black Strat.” The black Fender Stratocaster was an off-the-shelf standard model that Gilmour played since the 1970s as his recording and performance guitar. The “Black Strat” has appeared on every Pink Floyd album being The Dark Side Of The Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals, The Wall, and The Endless River. It also appeared in four of his solo albums.
[ Although the “Black Strat” was just a working tool to Gilmour, to fans it was an icon. .. ]
The “Black Strat” came with a serial number that dates the guitar to 1969. It was purchased by Gilmour as a replacement for his earlier black Stratocaster that was stolen. The “Black Strat” soon became Gilmour’s go to guitar and main guitar for 49 years. The “Black Strat” has undergone numerous modifications to achieve the tones and playability wanted by Gilmour.
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Although the “Black Strat” was just a working tool to Gilmour, to fans it was an icon. The “Black Strat” has been on the cover of magazines. Fender even created Custom Shop versions of it but with newer parts that includes a Fender 1983 ’57 reissue “C” shape neck, shortened vibrato arm (4.25 in), a 5-way pickup selector, and Fender synchronized tremolo bridge (that was refitted on the “Black Strat” in 1997).
The “Black Strat” was auctioned in 2019 together with a few other guitars. Dubbed “The David Gilmour Guitar Collection,” the auction raised $21,490,750, with all proceeds benefiting Client Earth. The “Black Strat” broke the record at $3,975,000 (previous record held by the Reach Out To Asia Fender Stratocaster) purchased by Indianapolis Colts owner, Jim Irsay, a big fan of Pink Floyd.
*Photo and video courtesy of David Gilmour.
Luxury Lifestyle Magazine For The Affluent