If you’re a bad player, even the 11 most expensive guitars in the world won’t help you play better. However, you can hear some of the guitars on the list in some of the world’s 10 most popular songs of all time which may give you a hint at the type of prices you’d expect here. Of course, no production guitar you can find on the markets or even a boutique instrument can normally get that expensive so all the guitars you’ll see on this list have belonged to a certain somebody which makes their value skyrocket. If you’re already counting your savings and how much of them you can sacrifice without losing your home, don’t bother – all of them have been sold already.
The guitar itself is an instrument which has centuries of history and evolution behind it. It is an immensely popular instrument, having been an integral part of almost any sort of music that we know or have known in the past six or seven centuries in various forms. Initially guitar strings (or any instrument strings) were made of guts and plucked with a gigantic by modern standards plectrum (or pick for the more uninitiated ones). The instrument became popular because of its relative simplicity and ease and cost of production. Aside from that, a guitar is always easy and lightweight to carry and can produce a beautiful array of sounds and can cover a wide range of notes despite its size. Even so, from the full eight octaves widely used in musical theory, the guitar can cover three of them. Throughout history, guitars evolved into having various sizes and shapes, structural differences and techniques of playing which were confined to certain musical styles. However, as modern times approached with the progress of technology, electrical sound amplification became accessible and the electric guitar (of which you will see a lot on this list) was born.
Today, the guitar has evolved into an all-around suitable for everything instrument which is seen as a core element of many sorts of popular music. All of our contenders have been a part of the popular music of their time, so let’s take a look at them.
11. George Harrison’s Rickenbacker 1962 425
Price: $657 000
The Beatles’ own George Harrison used this legendary Rickenbacker while playing for the band’s first TV appearance and on several other occasions too. The guitar was sold to an anonymous buyer in 2014.
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10. Jerry Garcia’s Doug Irwin “Wolf”
Price: $789 500
Jerry Garcia from the Grateful Dead said that after his death all his Doug Irwin guitars should go back to their creator. However, after a strenuous legal battle, only two guitars which are both on this list went to the luthier and were later sold.
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9. Eric Clapton’s Martin 1939 000-42 Acoustic
Price: $791 500
This legendary acoustic guitar has been in “Slowhand”’s arms on numerous occasions such as live appearances but most importantly – it was used to record one of his best works ever, titled “Tears in Heaven”.
8. Eric Clapton’s Gibson 1964 ES 335 TDC
Price: $847 500
Another guitar formerly owned by the blues legend, Clapton’s Gibson 1964 ES 335 TDC is a guitar which any aficionado would recognize at first sight. However, it didn’t see quite as much use as the other Clapton guitars you’re about to see.
7. Jerry Garcia’s Doug Irwin “Tiger”
Price: $957 000
Jerry Garcia’s second Doug Irwin guitar that went back to its creator was sold for the whopping nine hundred and fifty-seven thousand which, at that time, was the highest price a guitar was ever sold for.
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6. Eric Clapton’s “Blackie” Fender Stratocaster
Price: $959 000
“Blackie” is an iconic instrument which was frankensteined using three other guitars, originally a part of six instruments bought by Clapton. Three of them were handed to Pete Townshend, George Harrison and Steve Winwood.
5. Bob Dylan’s Fender ‘64 Stratocaster
Price: $965 000
Bob Dylan’s first ever electric gig happened with this guitar in his hands. Interestingly enough, the instrument was ditched in the back of a plane for one reason or another and simply forgotten there for more than forty years.
4. Keith Richards’s Gibson ‘59 Les Paul
Price: $1 million
This 1959 Gibson Les Paul has been handled by the legendary Keith Richards after being bought many decades ago from a guitar store in London. The instrument was later on sold to a private collector for one million dollars.
3. Bob Marley’s Washburn 22-Series Hawk
Price: >$1.2 million
Taking the third place in our list of the 11 most expensive guitars in the world is the reggae legend’s Washburn 22 Series Hawk. After the unfortunate and untimely passing of it owner, this custom made instrument was bought by the Jamaican government to keep as a national treasure and piece of history.
2. Jimi Hendrix’s Fender 1968 Stratocaster
Price: $2.0 million
What should have been the most expensive guitar in the world now takes the second place. Having been played in the historical ‘69 Woodstock festival by none other than the god of blues guitar himself, this piece sold for two million dollars.
1. Fender “Reach Out to Asia” Stratocaster
Price: $2.7 million
The “Reach Out to Asia” charity guitar takes the first place in the 11 most expensive guitars in the world. This instrument was specifically made and signed by some of the most influential musicians in the world as a charity piece.
