5 of the Most Expensive and Famous Guitars Sold at Auction

Many iconic guitars have been sold at auctions over the years. But what about some of the most recognizable, legendary, and expensive instruments? Here are five of the most high-priced guitars that have sold at auction.

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Jerry Garcia’s Wolf Guitar

The Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia was gifted his legendary guitar, nicknamed Wolf, in 1973. Luthier Doug Irwin designed it, the first of five guitars he made for Garcia. After Garcia’s death, Wolf eventually found its way back to Irwin before it was sold at auction in 2002 for almost $1 million.

In 2017, the first buyer decided to auction the guitar again to raise money for the Southern Poverty Law Center. This time, Wolf fetched a total of $1.9 million.

John Lennon’s Gibson J-160E

John Lennon used this guitar on the recordings of “Love Me Do” and “P.S. I Love You” before it was stolen in 1963. It ended up in the hands of novice musician John McCaw, who didn’t know it belonged to Lennon.

In 2015, the guitar went up for auction. It sold for $2.4 million, far exceeding expectations from auction organizers. Half of the proceeds went to the Spirit Foundation, Lennon and Yoko Ono’s charitable organization.

David Gilmour’s Black Stratocaster

In 2019, David Gilmour announced that he was selling 123 of his legendary guitars at auction. The crowds were massive, with lines snaking around the block of fans waiting to get a glimpse of Gilmour’s collection.

His iconic Black Strat capped the auction, bringing in just under $4 million ($3,975,000). Gilmour used this particular instrument in the making of Pink Floyd’s albums The Dark Side Of The Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals, and The Wall.

Kurt Cobain’s 1969 Fender Mustang Electric Guitar

In 2022, many of Kurt Cobain’s memorabilia went to auction for a second time. One item was his 1969 Fender Mustang, which was used in the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” music video. It was also a staple of Nirvana live shows.

The guitar sold for a whopping $4.5 million. The left-handed Fender was reportedly Cobain’s favorite, as he once stated that high quality left-handed guitars were hard to find. Additionally, this price tag made it the second most expensive guitar ever sold at auction.

Kurt Cobain’s 1959 Martin D-18E Acoustic Guitar

The most expensive guitar ever sold at auction also belonged to Kurt Cobain. His 1959 Martin sold in 2020 for an astronomical price. The instrument featured heavily in Nirvana’s iconic MTV Unplugged session.

It sold for a sky-high price of $6 million. Auction organizers initially estimated the guitar would go for anything between $1 million and $2 million. But the bids kept coming until the final price was higher than anyone could have guessed. The buyer, RØDE Microphones owner Peter Freedman, said he planned to showcase the instrument around the world and donate all proceeds to performing arts organizations.

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