Pink Floyd’s famed Black Strat set a new Black Strat auction record after selling for $14.55 million at Christie’s in New York on Thursday, March 12. The guitar, played by David Gilmour, is now the most expensive guitar ever sold at auction. The sale came from the Jim Irsay collection and was reported by The New York Times.
The sale pushed past the previous record held by Kurt Cobain’s Martin D-18E acoustic guitar, which sold for $6 million in 2020.
That made Gilmour’s Black Strat the new benchmark for guitar auctions. The final price also highlighted the lasting cultural value of Pink Floyd memorabilia.
Why David Gilmour’s Black Strat Matters
Gilmour used the Black Strat on several of Pink Floyd’s most influential albums during the 1970s. According to Christie’s, the guitar featured on The Dark Side of the Moon in 1973, Wish You Were Here in 1975, Animals in 1977, and The Wall in 1979.
That history helped turn the instrument into one of rock music’s most recognisable guitars. As a result, its sale drew strong attention from collectors and fans alike.
From Gilmour To Jim Irsay Collection
The source text says Jim Irsay first bought the guitar at Christie’s in June 2019 for nearly $4 million.
At the time, Gilmour told Rolling Stone that the guitars had been “very good” to him and that he considered them his friends. He also said it was time for them to serve someone else and bring attention to the sale.
The Jim Irsay collection was offered for sale from March 3 to March 17. According to the source text, part of the proceeds will go to philanthropic causes supported by Irsay during his lifetime.
The auction also featured instruments linked to major artists, including all four Beatles, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Jerry Garcia, Kurt Cobain, Elton John, Prince, Johnny Cash, Janis Joplin, John Coltrane and Miles Davis.
