David Gilmour’s legendary ‘Black Strat’ comes to auction

NEW YORK

Christie’s will auction more than 120 guitars from the personal collection of the Pink Floyd singer and songwriter David Gilmour. His 1969 Black Fender Stratocaster has earned its place in rock’n’roll history. Known as “The Black Strat,” the guitar was purchased in 1970 at Manny’s on West 48th Street in New York, and has become the Pink Floyd singer and songwriter’s most identified instrument over the course of nearly 50 years.

Between 1970 and 1986, “The Black Strat” was Gilmour’s primary performance and recording guitar, and was key to the development of the Pink Floyd sound. It was played in the recordings of landmark albums such as the 1973 masterpiece “The Dark Side of the Moon,” which is widely regarded as one of the greatest LPs of all time; “Wish You Were Here” (1975), “Animals” (1977); and “The Wall” (1979).

On 20 June at Christie’s in New York, the iconic, solid-body electric guitar (estimate: $100,000-150,000) will be a highlight of The David Gilmour Guitar Collection, which comprises more than 120 instruments and focuses on a selection of his preferred Fender Broadcasters, Esquires, Telecasters and Stratocasters.

Not only the largest and most comprehensive sale of guitars ever offered at auction, the collection details the musical history of one of the world’s most influential guitarists. All proceeds from the sale will benefit charitable causes.

“Many of the guitars in this sale are guitars that have given me a tune,” says Gilmour in our short film, in which he plays for us a few chords from his best-loved songs on the guitars that helped to inspire them. “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.”