David Gilmour’s Black Stratocaster Sells for Record $14.5 Million

David Gilmour’s iconic 1969 Fender Stratocaster, known as the “Black Strat,” has been sold for a record-breaking $14.5 million at a Christie’s auction in New York City, becoming the most expensive guitar ever sold. The sale was part of the Jim Irsay Collection auction, featuring memorabilia from the late Indianapolis Colts owner.

A Piece of Rock History

The Black Strat was instrumental in the creation of some of Pink Floyd’s most celebrated albums, including The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals, and The Wall. Notably, it was used to record the iconic guitar solo in Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb.”

Previous Sale and Charitable Contributions

This isn’t the first time the guitar has been auctioned. Gilmour previously sold the Stratocaster in 2022 for $3,975,000 at a Christie’s auction, with proceeds benefiting ClientEarth, an organization focused on environmental law. A portion of the proceeds from the latest sale will likewise be donated to philanthropic causes. Louder Sound

Shattering Previous Records

The $14.5 million price tag significantly surpasses the previous record for the most expensive guitar sold at auction, which was $6.1 million for Kurt Cobain’s 1959 Martin D-18E acoustic guitar, used during Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged performance. Yahoo Entertainment. Another guitar from the auction, a 1969 Fender Mustang played by Cobain in the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” music video, sold for $6.9 million. Yahoo Entertainment

Jim Irsay’s Collection

The auction featured a wide range of items from the collection of the late Jim Irsay, including a guitar played by Jerry Garcia during his final show with the Grateful Dead, which sold for $11.5 million. Louder Sound. The sale was described as “like the Super Bowl for this market” by attendee Thomas Scriven. Yahoo Entertainment

Auction Details

The Black Strat was acquired by an anonymous buyer after a 21-minute bidding war. Yahoo Entertainment The auction took place at Christie’s auction house in New York. Indianapolis Business Journal