David Gilmour auctions personal guitar collection, nets $21M for climate action – “We need a civilized world that goes on for all our grandchildren and beyond in which these guitars can be played and songs can be sung”

By Danielle Haynes
21 June 2019

(UPI) – The auction of David Gilmour’s guitar collection netted more than $21 million, which the legendary Pink Floyd guitarist is donating to efforts to battle climate change, Christie’s announced.

The auction house said the 8-hour auction Thursday drew bidders from more than 66 countries. The collection of more than 120 guitars earned $21,490,750.

A Fender black Stratocaster — dubbed the “Black Strat” — set a worldwide auction record for a guitar, earning $3.97 million, blowing past its $150,000 estimate. Gilmour used the so-called Black Strat on Pink Floyd albums The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), Wish You Were Here (1975), Animals (1977) and The Wall (1979).

“It became my main guitar, the one I used pretty much on everything unless there was a reason to want a different sound,” Gilmour said of the guitar.

Gilmour said he was “blown away” by the results of the auction.

He’s donating all the proceeds from the sale to ClientEarth, a charity that funds legal battles fighting climate change. [more]

David Gilmour auction nets $21M, nets record for guitar sale