Music History: Top 5 Most Valuable Guitars & Their Stories
By Dylan Simon
There are guitars and then there are GUITARS. Some guitars have been played by the greatest musicians in history, while others have been owned by some of the richest people in the world. Here is a list of 5 of the most valuable guitars and their legendary stories!
Kurt Cobain's 'Unplugged' Guitar
This iconic left-handed guitar was used by the late Nirvana front man during his historic MTV Unplugged performance in 1993. It sold for a staggering $6,010,000 at auction in June 2020, making it one of the most expensive guitars ever sold!⁴ This 1959 Martin D-18E acoustic guitar was sold in Kurt Cobain’s original case. Within this case, it was reported to contain a “stash bag.”
What are some of the things that make this guitar so expensive?
This model of guitar was not very popular and had a limited production run of only 302 units. Kurt’s was #7 in the series. The pickups were mounted in a very inconvenient spot that would kill the tone of the guitar. This caused most people to not like the unit which caused this guitar to be made for only one year. Kurt Cobain was not most people, though, and took a liking to the guitar. It was reported to be his go-to house guitar and the last guitar he bought himself before his passing. After Kurt’s tragic passing the guitar was inherited by Cobain’s daughter, Frances Bean. She then lost it in divorce proceedings with Isaiah Silva in 2016. It is widely believed that Silva was the seller of this guitar in the 2020 Juliens Auction, although it was never officially reported.
Photography by Edu Guimarães | Adobe Stock
David Gilmour's Black Stratocaster
Owned and played by Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour, this guitar sold for an astounding $3.97 million in 2019.¹ It was used to record some of the band's most iconic songs, such as 'Money' and 'Comfortably Numb'. Even the guitar case the guitar was housed in was worth $175,000¹. Jim Irsay, the man who purchased the guitar and case, also bought a 1969 Martin D-35 Gilmour used to record “Wish You Were Here” at the same auction for $1,095,000.¹ The money raised for the sale of these guitars went to the charity Client Earth, a group that fights climate change.
“Reach Out To Asia” Fender Stratocaster
This guitar was sold at auction to benefit victims of the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami. It was signed by a number of famous rock stars, such as Eric Clapton, Bryan Adams, and Sting. It sold for $2.7 million in 2005, making it one of the most expensive guitars ever sold!² This guitar was created to help raise money for the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, by Bryan Adams through his “Reach Out To Asia” project.
Something that makes this guitar special is not the guitar itself or it’s history, it is the signatures on it.
“It was signed by a total of nineteen artists and features signatures from Jimmy Page, Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Brian May, David Gilmour, Jeff Beck, Liam Gallagher, Angus and Malcolm Young, and Bryan Adams.”
John Lennon’s 1962 Gibson J-160E Acoustic Electric
This guitar was owned and used by John Lennon while he was in The Beatles. In 2015, it sold at auction for $2.4 million.⁶ It is one of the most iconic guitars in history and the highest price ever paid for an acoustic guitar!
This guitar is one of two identical guitars bought by the band manager in 1962 to record songs like, “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “She Loves You,” and “I Saw Her Standing There.” The original purchase price was about $194(£161.05), which equates to roughly $4800 in 2022. Apparently, the guitar was lost after a The Beatles show in 1963.⁶
Photography by Battler | Adobe Stock
Jimi Hendrix’s 1968 Fender Stratocaster
This electric guitar was played by Jimi Hendrix during his famous Woodstock performance in 1969. Woodstock is probably the most well known music festival in American culture, and Jimi’s performance was legendary to those who witnessed it. It has become a symbol of rock 'n' roll history, and it sold for $2 million in 1998.³ Who knows what this might go for today!
These guitars are all incredibly valuable and they tell stories that will last a lifetime. From Kurt Cobain to John Lennon, these guitars have been played by some of the greatest musicians in history and their values reflect that. Expensive guitars may not be within everyone's budget, but their stories are sure to inspire music fans for years to come!
SOURCES:¹https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/kurt-cobain-unplugged-guitar-auction-1018229/²https://loudwire.com/most-expensive-guitars/³https://wealthygorilla.com/most-expensive-guitars/⁴https://killerguitarrigs.com/5-facts-about-kurt-cobains-martin-d-18e-the-unplugged-guitar/⁵https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/how-john-lennons-long-lost-24-million⁶https://themostexpensive.org/most-expensive-guitars/
