Most famous/valuable instruments

[crofty1984]

As per the title really, I was wondering about what some of the most famous and/or valuable instruments could be.

Open to all types of instrument, but as a guitar-head I'd say Brian May's Red Special has to be up there for both. I can't imagine what that would fetch at the right auction if Brian came out and said "I'm selling THE guitar I built with my dad".

Didn't Kurt Cobain's MTV unplugged guitar go under the hammer recently?
Jimi Hendrix's woodstock guitar?

Perhaps not valuable (if any part of it remains at all) but I think you could count the guitar on the front of "London Calling" pretty famous.

Is there a particular Stradivarious that's more insanely valuable than the others?

John Lennon's "Imagine" piano?

[foreright]

Dave Gilmours black strat went for some silly amount of money IIRC (£3m+) a few years ago but yes, violins and specifically Stradivarius and Guarneri del Gesu have sold for a LOT more than even the most expensive guitars (way more than £10m) and some of the most expensive are still used which I'm pretty sure can't be said for guitars - I can't imagine someone gigging Kurt Cobain's acoustic

Specifically, the Messiah Strad is likely to be the most valuable violin - https://www.ashmolean.org/messiah-violin-stradivar... - it's in the Ashmolean museum and is essentially "brand new".

Edited by foreright on Wednesday 12th June 14:27

[Bubbas Grill]

Good shout on Brian's Red Special. I think that would go for more than Gilmour's Strat. 4-5m??

Jimmy Page's No.1 Les Paul and his main Doubleneck are worth some serious consideration too. £3m each? I have a signed and authenticated Orange amp-head that he used briefly.

Paul McCartney's re-united Hofner? 5m+ ?

[Richard-390a0]

Instruments of the band that played on the RMS Titanic?

[paulguitar]

Bubbas Grill said:

Paul McCartney's re-united Hofner? 5m+ ?

Valued at £10m according to this article:

https://www.guitarworld.com/news/paul-mccartney-lo...

[MrCheese]

Willie Nelson's Trigger

[Wheel Turned Out]

I think if Jimmie Vaughan ever put Stevie Ray's No. 1 up for auction it'd fetch some serious cash.

[Mr Squarekins]

Texas Instruments (remember them?) That company used to be worth quite a bit.

Am I doing this right?

[Yahonza]

Peter Green's 'Greeny', 1959 Les Paul. Used to pen all sorts of famous tracks in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and in Fleetwood Mac.
It had some sort of out of phase pickup wiring and went next to Gary Moore in Thin Lizzy. It supposedly sold for £1.5M and is now owned, and is still being played, by Kirk Hammett in Metallica. The outstanding track using this guitar is 'The Supernatural' - worth a listen.

[cherryowen]

Good calls on The Red Special and Trigger.

However, $45 million for this :-

[Nethybridge]

Must be a risk of fakes, guitars can be aged and distressed, and serial numbers can be erm, altered.

Hendrix's white woodstock strat was fairly stock and only had
a fag burn on the headstock, easy to fake .

I think some guy walked into the Pawn Shop TV show with one and wanted $30 000 for it, no questions asked.

He got shown where the door was

[crofty1984]

cherryowen said:

Good calls on The Red Special and Trigger.

However, $45 million for this :-

Wouldn't it be great to own something like that and just let anyone* play it.

*OK not quite anyone, but someone that would appreciate playing it.

[Dicky Knee]

crofty1984 said:

cherryowen said:

Good calls on The Red Special and Trigger.

However, $45 million for this :-

Wouldn't it be great to own something like that and just let anyone* play it.

*OK not quite anyone, but someone that would appreciate playing it.

I used to work for a bank that owned a Stradivarius 'Lady Inchiquin' which it lent to a violinist. I think they had a Strad cello as well but not sure on that.

[franki68]

Kurt cobains Martin is the most expensive ‘rock’ instrument sold ,his fender the second most .
I would imagine evh frankenstein would be the most if wolfie ever put it up for sale and when he dies Brian May’s red special will be .

https://guitar.com/features/the-15-most-expensive-...

[Chubbyross]

I reckon Eric Clapton's stolen 'burst used on the Beano album must be one of the most valuable guitars, probably up there with Page's No.1 Les Paul. Joe Bonamassa claims that a relatively well-known collector in California has it stashed away.

I can understand why Brian May's guitar would fetch a crazy price but I've never been a fan of his tone, to be honest. Far too much middle and very little bass or high end. I'd much rather have an original 1959 Les Paul or late '50s/early 60s Strat.

I love the story of Gilmour's black Strat. Apparently he lent it many years ago to the Hard Rock Cafe, who promptly displayed it in one of their restaurants. Without protection. It was simply stuck to a wall and people would pinch bits from it. Eventually he got it back and his guitar tech had do do some work to get it back to a usuable state.

[Stealthracer]

Chubbyross said:

I ... I'd much rather have an original 1959 Les Paul or late '50s/early 60s Strat.

I'm with you there, I'd love a '59 Les Paul but it would have to be a factory fresh one as I don't like the way the red fades and the yellow darkens on the old ones. Give me a Cherryburst or Honeyburst any day, but a guitar the colour of wee? You can keep it Kirk.