David Gilmour performing onstage with a Fender Stratocaster in Hyde Park in July 1970. © Tony Collins
Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour will be auctioning off more than 120 of his guitars for charity. If you have the funds, the auction will take place in Christie’s in New York in June this year. And it includes some of his most iconic guitars.
Guitars which Gilmour not only used in his live performances over the years, but that he also used in the recording of classic Pink Floyd albums like Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here, Animals and The Wall. One of them, which has featured on all these albums, will be his legendary 1969 Black Fender Stratocaster which Christie’s notes “has earned its place in rock’n’roll history.”
David Gilmour with 'The Black Strat' during the recording session for 'Have a Cigar' from 'Wish You Were Here', taken in Studio 3 of Abbey Road Studios. © Jill Furmanovsky
‘The Black Strat’ has played many of the band’s iconic guitar solos, from songs like “Money”, “Comfortably Numb” and “Shine on You Crazy Diamond”. In fact, Gilmour says that in one way or another it’s probably featured on most Pink Floyd tracks from 1970 through to the mid-1980s.
The estimate for ‘The Black Strat’ will be between $100,000-150,000 Christie’s notes. And, along with this, other guitars will be Fender Broadcasters, Esquires, Telecasters and Stratocasters.
David Gilmour taking a quiet moment backstage with his legendary 'Black Strat', during the 'Dark Side of the Moon' tour in 1974. © Jill Furmanovsky
“These guitars have been very good to me,” Gilmour told Rolling Stone. “They’re my friends. They have given me lots of music. I just think it’s time that they went off and served someone else. I have had my time with them. And of course the money that they will raise will do an enormous amount of good in the world, and that is my intention.”
The money from the sales will be going to Gilmour’s own charitable foundation which he says will help the, “larger needs of famine relief, homelessness and displacement of people throughout the world.”
You might think that, with Gilmour selling so many of his collection, he might have lost his mind. But, he notes that it’s a matter of “cleaning house” and he’s been planning to sell many of them since 1987, he just hasn’t gotten around to it.
David Gilmour performing with 'The Black Strat' on 1974's 'Dark Side Of The Moon' tour. © Jill Furmanovsky
To coincide with the announcement Gilmour also made a video for Christie’s, discussing the collection. He talks about the aforementioned ‘The Black Strat’ and also a 1954 White Fender Stratocaster #0001. He got this in 1978 and used it to record “Another Brick in the Wall (Parts 2 and 3).” His dream as a young musician was always to have a Fender Stratocaster, he says. “Buddy Holly played one. Hank Marvin played one. And that was enough for me. I just wanted a Strat.”
Along with his electric guitars, there will also be several acoustic guitars up for auction too, reflecting the influence musicians like Bob Dylan and The Everly Brothers had on him. These include a 1969 D-35 Martin bought in New York in 1971, which was used as Pink Floyd’s main studio acoustic, and a Gibson J-200 Celebrity he got in 1985 from Dire Straits’ John Illsley, among others.
David Gilmour with his beloved 'Black Strat' performing on his third night at the Royal Albert Hall as part of his 'Rattle That Lock' 2015 Tour. © Paolo Brillo
The auction will take place at Christie's in New York on 20 June. Before then the collection will be on show at Christie’s in London on 27-31 March, in Los Angeles on 7-11 May and in New York on 14-19 June.
“Many of the guitars in this sale are guitars that have given me a tune,” Gilmour says in the video. “So a lot of them have earned their keep, you might say. These guitars have given so much to me, and it’s time for them to move on to other people who hopefully will find joy, and perhaps create something new.”
Find out more about David Gilmour’s collection at Christie’s website and watch the video they made about the instruments below.
Rockarchive is delighted to be able to offer these and many more iconic Pink Floyd and David Gilmour images as limited edition photographic prints which you can buy here.
This was the first time Tony Collins ever saw Pink Floyd live. They played numbers from their new album 'Atom Heart Mother'.
David Gilmour taking a quiet moment backstage, during the Dark Side of the Moon tour 1974.
David Gilmour Dark Side Of The Moon tour 1974. Those Guinness t-shirts were popular on that tour. Roger had one too.
David Gilmour in Studio 3, at Abbey Road Studios. The band were recording Have a Cigar that day for their new album Wish You Were Here .
A unique collection of images of Pink Floyd, one of the worlds most successful and influential rock bands.
David Gilmour is a guitarist, vocalist and writer with the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, but is also renowned for his solo work.
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Roger and Nick on a train to Edinburgh, Dark Side of The Moon tour 1974. The band preferred to travel by train rather than bus or plane.
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This is what The Wall looked like during an interval of the The Wall Tour at the The Coliseum in Uniondale, Nassau County, New York.
The design team Hipgnosis, had two main players - Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey Powell. Po pictured here with David Gilmour and Roger Waters
Nick Mason, David Gilmour & Roger Waters during a sound-check for the Dark Side of the Moon UK tour.
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Two consecutive frames joined together from a shoot of The Wall tour in New York in 1980
Two pictures joined together to make one image - one was taken in New York and one in London. They are from two different points in the show
David Gilmour’s superb guitar solo during ’Comfortably Numb’ on PinK Floyd's The Wall Tour
Alternative version of the image designed to advertise the Pink Floyd back catalogue in 1997 designed by Storm Thorgerson
Jill Furmanovsky was the official photographer on the Dark Side of the Moon/Wish You Were Here UK tour, taking pictures over c.5 weeks
Storm Thorgerson with Dave Gilmour whilst rehearsing during the Dark Side of the Moon UK Tour.
A rare band shot from this period taken by a young Jill Furmanovksy at the start of her photography career
Photographed as a homage to the Pink Floyd album sleeve 'Animals' for the BBC series 'Britain In Pictures'.
Alternative version of Interstellar poster artwork created for the 2003 Pink Floyd exhibition in Paris
Pink Floyd onstage during their UK Dark Side of the Moon Tour in 1974
Nick Mason shot on one of the earliest Pink Floyd photo shoots in June 1967
Pink Floyd's 'Chip Off The Old Block' artwork designed by Storm Thorgerson: the block represents vinyl singles
Artwork designed by Storm Thorgerson for the Pink Floyd 30th Anniversary campaign
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Rick Wright captured under the band's psychedelic lights early in their career
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One of earliest Pink Floyd photo shoots. Rick Wright is enhanced by special psychedelic lighting effects.
Syd Barrett captured in a candid moment at Abbey Road Studios whilst rehearsing for the recording of 'The Piper at the Gates of Dawn'
Syd Barrett on an early photo shoot in London, not long before recording Pink Floyd's debut album
Candid image of Roger Waters at Abbey Road Studios whilst Pink Floyd finished off recording their debut album
The original Pink Floyd line-up on their first ever photo shoot in Kennington Park, London
Syd Barrett, Nick Mason, Roger Waters & Richard Wright on their first ever photo shoot in Ruskin Park, London
Alternative version of the album cover for Division Bell, subtly different from the iconic original
Alternative version of the cover artwork for Pink Floyd's 1994 album 'Division Bell' designed by Storm Thorgerson
Variant of the album cover for Division Bell using alternative Stone Heads
Inner sleeve artwork for Pink Floyd's album Wish You Were Here by Storm Thorgerson
David Gilmour playing backgammon (with Storm and Rick Wright) in his hotel room during the Dark Side of the Moon tour 1974.
This was Pink Floyd’s first official photo shoot. Although a photographer by trade, Colin Prime’s other love was music
Pink Floyd at the mixing desk whilst recording their debut album 'The Piper at the Gates of Dawn' in Abbey Road Studios
Alternative version cover art for Pink Floyd's fifth studio album Atom Heart Mother (known as Wire Cow - or Why A Cow?)
Taken on the band's first photo shoot in Ruskin Park, London in April 1967
Roger Water pictured at one of the first Pink Floyd photo shoots
Version of the Interstellar poster art devised for the 2003 Pink Floyd exhibition in Paris
Cover art for the live single of Wish You Were Here. 'What you see is what you get - two lost souls, swimming in a fish bowl'
Pink Floyd in Abbey Road making a new album that became 'Wish You Were Here'. Jill Furmanovsky was asked to drop in and shoot some stills
Roger Waters, Roy Harper and Roy's son listen to a playback at Abbey Road Studios. Roy was guest vocalist on Have a Cigar.
Roger Waters eating a fairy cake in Abbey Road Studios, 1975, during the making of 'Wish You Were Here'
David Gilmour recording Wish You Were Here in Studio Two, at Abbey Road in 1975
Roger Waters messing about in the studio during the 1975 recording sessions for 'Wish You Were Here'
David Gilmour taking time out during the recordings for 'Wish You Were Here' in 1975
Nick Mason & Rick Wright chatting at the mixing desk in Abbey Road Studios whilst working on Wish You Were Here
Rick Wright in Studio Two, Abbey Road Studios whilst recording Pink Floyd's album 'Wish You Were Here' in 1975
At the mixing desk whilst working on their classic album 'Wish You Were Here'
Rare colour image of Roger Waters taken by Jill Furmanovsky during the recording sessions for 'Wish You Were Here' at Abbey Road Studios
Artwork for Pink Floyd's Pulse DVD released in 2006 and designed by Storm Thorgerson
Syd Barrett with Pink Floyd at the International ‘Love In’ Festival at Alexandra Palace in Summer 1967
Syd Barrett captured on one of Pink Floyd's earliest photoshoots in June 1967
Pink Floyd onstage at the Roundhouse, London in July 1967 less than a year after they performed at its opening party.
1967 Syd Barrett performs during an early photo session prior to the release of Pink Floyd's debut album
One of Pink Floyd's earliest photo shoots taken in June 1967 using the lighting they used in their gigs
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