David Gilmour’s guitars have sold for a record-breaking $21.5 million.
The Pink Floyd legend’s The David Gilmour Guitar Collection, made auction history as the largest sale of the musical instrument took place at Christie’s at the Rockefeller Center in New York.
Out of the 75-year-old musician’s 126 guitars, the 1969 Black Fender Stratocaster went for a record-breaking $3,975,000.
The Black Strat was used on the progressive rock group’s classic albums ‘The Wall’, ‘Wish You Were Here’ and ‘Dark Side of The Moon’, and Gilmour’s solo records, most recently 2015’s ‘Rattle That Lock’.
Prior to the sale, guitar legend Eric Clapton’s collection held the record for the biggest guitar sale in the world, making $5,072,350 in 1999 and $7,438,624 in 2004, a combined total of $12,510,974.
Elsewhere, Gilmour’s acoustic Martin D-35 was bought for $1,095,000 — a record for the C.F. Martin guitar makers.
The ‘Comfortably Numb’ hitmaker used the distinctive instrument on 1975’s ‘Wish You Were Here’ and ‘Shine on You Crazy Diamond’.
The 1954 White Fender Stratocaster #0001 from ‘Another Brick in the Wall (Parts 2 and 3)’ sold for $1,815,000, which until the Black Strat went under the hammer, had set a record for Fender Stratocaster.
And a 1955 Gibson Les Paul and rare Gretsch White Penguin 6134 made $447,000 each for the charity ClientEarth, which Gilmour chose to donate all the proceeds made at the auction to.
The environmental and political activist said: "The global climate crisis is the greatest challenge that humanity will ever face, and we are within a few years of the effects of global warming being irreversible.
"As Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old Swedish climate activist said in a speech earlier this year, ‘Either we choose to go on as a civilisation, or we don’t’.
"The choice really is that simple, and I hope that the sale of these guitars will help ClientEarth in their cause to use the law to bring about real change.
"We need a civilised world that goes on for all our grandchildren and beyond in which these guitars can be played and songs can be sung."
ClientEarth CEO James Thornton commented: "This is a truly humbling and extraordinary gift, which goes beyond our wildest expectations.
"It’s difficult to express just how deeply grateful we are to David for choosing ClientEarth as the beneficiary of this historic auction.
"The law is one of the most powerful tools we have to tackle the world’s increasing environmental problems.
"This gift is a phenomenal boost to our work using the law to tackle climate change and protect nature.
"It will allow us to play an even greater role in addressing the climate crisis and securing a healthy planet for future generations."
An impressive 12,000 fans were able to check out the guitars at locations in London, Los Angeles and New York before the sale and 500,000 people viewed the sought-after instruments on Christies.com.
Whilst 2,000 bidders from 66 countries registered their interest to place a bid.
The auction had to be delayed by one hour because of the number of people trying to enter the Rockefeller Center.
David Gilmour’s Guitar Collection sells for record-breaking $21.5M
