The 10 Most Expensive Guitars Ever Sold

by Frederik Nielsen, Feb 14, 2020 . 3 min read

We’ve rounded up the most expensive guitars in history. Part of their value lies in the fact that they were used by some of the most famous rockstars around.

Be sure to mention them to the gang at the next rehearsal!

1. “Reach Out To Asia” Fender Stratocaster

In 2005, Bryan Adams created a project called “Reach Out To Asia” to help the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean. His guitar was signed by 19 different artists.

Price: $2.7 Million

2. John Lennon’s 1962 Gibson J-160E Acoustic-Electric

This £161 guitar was used by The Beatles to compose songs like “She Loves You,” but was somehow lost after a performance in 1963. It magically reappeared many years later.

Price: $2.4 Million

3. Jimi Hendrix’ Fender Stratocaster

Jimi Hendrix used this guitar to perform “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Woodstock in 1969, which was a legendary show. The buyer was none other than the co-founder of Microsoft.

Price: $2 Million

4. Jerry Garcia’s “Wolf”

Jerry Garcia has a long history of famous guitars, and his “Wolf” is one of the most valuable. It originally had a peacock logo back in 1973 until Garcia replaced it with a wolf sticker.

Price: $1.9 Million

5. Bob Marley’s Washburn 22-Series Hawk

Bob Marley only used seven guitars for the duration of his career. The Washburn 22-Series Hawk is one of them, and the Jamaican government naturally declared it a national treasure.

Price: $1.2 Million

6. 1958 Gibson “Korina” 1958 Explorer

This model didn’t belong to any particular guitarist, but the likes of Slash used it. We can, of course, attribute part of the value to the fact that Gibson only ever made ten Korinas.

Price: $1.1 Million

7. Keith Richards’ 1959 Gibson Les Paul

There aren’t many 1959 Gibson Les Pauls around anymore, which is why you’ll shell out well over $100,000 if you find one. But the one used by Keith Richards is worth a whole lot more.

Price: $1 Million

8. Bob Dylan’s “Newport Folk Festival” 1964 Fender Stratocaster

Bob Dylan wasn’t known for playing electric guitar until 1964. That’s when he performed with this guitar live for the first time. His fans didn’t appreciate it, but whoever bought it certainly did.

Price: $965,000

9. Eric Clapton’s “Blackie”

Eric Clapton’s guitar is a Frankenstein instrument he made from three different guitars. Talk about unique! He stopped using it in 1985 but it wasn’t sold until almost two decades later.

Price: $959,000 

10. Jerry Garcia’s Custom Doug Irwin “Tiger”

Mr. Garcia gets a second spot on the list with his “Tiger” guitar. Like the “Wolf” guitar, he commissioned the painted tiger to give the instrument it’s now famous and unique look.

Price: $957,500

Which One Will You Buy?

Just kidding. We don’t want you to lose your home just to get your hands on one of these guitars.

On the other hand, maybe you could make a living from busking in the street with Jimi’s old guitar?

Which one will you dream about tonight? Leave your comments below!