Record‑Breaking Guitar Sale Hits $14. 55 Million

A Legendary Stratocaster Sells for $14.55 Million

A black Fender Stratocaster once owned by David Gilmour has just set a new auction record, fetching $14.55 million from an online bidder after a quick 21‑minute bidding war. The sale took place at Christie’s, the same auction house that handled previous high‑profile instrument sales.

• Gilmour bought the guitar in 1970 from Manny’s Music in Manhattan, and it became his go‑to instrument for recordings between 1972 and 1983.
• During that time, Pink Floyd released five landmark albums, including The Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall.
• The guitar shows years of use, with scratches and chipped paint that tell its story.

After two decades away, Gilmour returned to the Stratocaster in 2014 to record The Endless River, Pink Floyd’s final studio album. The instrument was part of the estate of Jim Irsay, a late billionaire who once owned the Indianapolis Colts. Christie’s announced that three more items from Irsay’s collection will go to auction later this month.

The record price eclipses the previous high of $6.01 million set in 2020 for a guitar used by Kurt Cobain on Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged. That sale was for a Martin D‑18E. The Gilmour guitar now tops the list of most expensive guitars sold at auction.

Other instruments also made headlines that day:

• A guitar used by Cobain in the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video sold for $6.9 million.
• Jerry Garcia’s custom “Tiger” guitar fetched $11.56 million, breaking the record for his memorabilia.

These sales show how iconic instruments can command extraordinary prices, reflecting their cultural impact and the stories they carry.