IN the world of guitars, tone, wood and craftsmanship reign supreme. But for some instruments, legend and legacy elevate them beyond mere musical tools. Here are the stories behind six of the most expensive guitars ever sold.
These are not just finely crafted instruments or average six-strings hanging on a dusty garage. These are museum-worthy masterpieces, played by icons who made their mark on musical history and coveted by collectors with pockets deeper than a bluesman’s soul.
Hence, these instruments have been elevated to the status of historical artefacts, with price tags to match.
These are some of the stories that have driven the prices of these guitars into the stratosphere while adding another layer of glitter to further burnish the legend.
6) ‘Reach Out to Asia’ Fender Stratocaster @ US$2.7 million (RM12.69 million)
Ranked sixth on the list of most expensive guitars, this stock Mexican-made white Fender Stratocaster, previously at fifth, was never owned by any superstar. So, how did it achieve such a high ranking? The answer lies in the signatures adorning it.
This Fender Stratocaster is signed by a legendary group of musicians, including Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Brian May, Jimmy Page, David Gilmour, Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend, Mark Knopfler, Ray Davies, Liam Gallagher, Ronnie Wood, Tony Iommi, Angus and Malcolm Young, Paul McCartney, Sting, Ritchie Blackmore, Def Leppard and Bryan Adams.
Named the “Reach Out to Asia” Strat, this guitar was auctioned off to aid victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami and certainly fulfilled its purpose.
In 2005, a new made-in-Mexico Strat sold for about US$350, making this arguably the most overpriced guitar ever due to its collection of squiggles on its body.
5) John Lennon’s ‘Help!’ 12-string Framus Hootenanny @US$2.86 million
The recent buzz in the guitar world is on Lennon’s 12-string Framus Hootenanny, which went missing for almost half a century before being discovered in a British attic and recently sold at auction for US$2.9 million.
In April, Julien’s Auction revealed the discovery of this iconic Beatles instrument, used extensively during the Help! recording sessions in the 1960s. The guitar, featured in the film and during a performance of You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away, was found after 50 years.
Though it did not set a new world record for guitar auctions, it did exceed its conservative estimate of US$800,000, selling for US$2.86 million in May. This sale set a record for the most expensive Beatles guitar at auction, surpassing another guitar owned by Lennon – the Gibson J-160E, which sold for US$2.4 million.
4) Eddie Van Halen’s ‘Hot For Teacher’ Kramer @ US$3.93 million
Van Halen was not just a virtuoso guitarist, his instrument designs were groundbreaking and as iconic as his music. However, genuine Van Halen guitars are near-mythical treasures. Most remain within his family, as cherished keepsakes from a legendary career. But a rare exception emerged – a striped Kramer built by the master luthier Paul Unkert.
This was not just any run-of-the-mill Kramer. Van Halen used it as his main weapon in 1983–1984, as seen in the epic Hot For Teacher music video. The guitar outperformed its pre-auction estimate by US$1 million in 2023. The final gavel strike resonated at a jaw-dropping nearly US$4 million.
This astronomical price tag reflects the extreme rarity of instruments from Van Halen’s collection. Guitars with even greater significance, perhaps his most beloved “Frankenstrat”, are likely destined to remain in private collections.
3) David Gilmour’s modified black Fender Stratocaster @ US$3.98 million
Gilmour’s Black Strat is his most iconic guitar, heavily modified over the years. Originally a Sunburst 1968 model from Manny’s Music in New York, it had been refinished in black by the time Gilmour purchased it in 1970. Through the 1970s, Gilmour alternated between a maple neck with a late-60s big headstock and a rosewood neck from the 1950s.
The modifications did not stop there. The guitar came with custom pickups wound by Seymour Duncan and the famous shortened whammy bar. Over the decades, most parts were swapped out, and it is now believed that only the body, selector switch, and possibly the bridge plate are original.
The Black Strat, used for the iconic Comfortably Numb solo and Gilmour’s primary guitar from 1970–1986, fetched a gasp-inducing price at auction. It is now part of the Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay Collection, coveted by guitarists who could only dream of owning such a legendary piece.
2) Kurt Cobain’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ Fender Mustang @ US$4.55 million
A grungy relic from the golden age of alternative rock just redefined the value of musical history. Cobain’s left-handed Fender Mustang, which was used in Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit video, sold for a staggering US$4.5 million in 2022.
Despite not being Cobain’s favourite, this Lake Placid Blue beauty became an icon after the video’s impact. With 1.5 billion YouTube views, Teen Spirit launched Nirvana and the Mustang into the stratosphere. The guitar was estimated to sell for US$800,000, but the final gavel strike defied expectations, underlining Cobain’s legacy in rock history.
The guitar even boasts a touch of battle-worn history – a testament to Cobain’s energetic performances. After a particularly enthusiastic smash against a mixing board during a 1991 Dallas show, the Mustang sported a repaired neck before finding its way into The Jim Irsay Collection, a treasure trove of rock and roll memorabilia.
1) Kurt Cobain’s Martin D-18E @ US$6.01 million
One of the most renowned Cobain guitar moments, even more memorable than the Teen Spirit video, is from Nirvana’s poignant performance on the MTV Unplugged show, particularly their cover of David Bowie’s The Man Who Sold the World.
Cobain bought his Martin D-18E in 1992 from Voltage Guitars in Los Angeles. This guitar was unique for Martin, as it originally came with DeArmond pickups, which Cobain replaced with a Bartolini 3AV soundhole pickup because he did not like the original tone.
After Cobain’s passing, the guitar was left to his daughter Frances Bean, but it ended up with her ex-husband Isaiah Silva as part of their divorce settlement.
In 2020, the guitar was purchased by RØDE Microphones founder Peter Freedman, making him the proud owner of the world’s costliest axe.
