Joined:
January 2004
Posts: 648
Location: Florida | Eric Clapton's prized Stratocaster,
"Blackie", brought $959,500 in the Christie's Eric Clapton Crossroads Guitar
Auction, becoming the most expensive guitar ever to have been sold at auction.
Stevie Ray Vaughan's Stratocaster, "Lenny" received the second highest price
ever paid for a Fender Stratocaster at auction, fetching $623,500. A new world
record was also set for the sale of a Gibson guitar - Clapton's 1964 red Gibson
ES-335 brought $847,500.
Guitar Center, Inc., was the buyer of Blackie,
Lenny, and Clapton's 1964 red Gibson ES-335.
Christie's representatives
describe the event:
In a thundering two-hour sale, carried by waves of
fierce bidding and outbursts of devotional excitement, many Eric Clapton fans
saw their dreams come true. In the fully packed James Christie salesroom at
Rockefeller Center, bidders from all over the world competed passionately to
acquire guitars from Eric Clapton’s collection or instruments donated by his
musician friends such as Jimmie Vaughan and Pete Townshend. The sale was 100%
sold and totaled $7,438,624, easily eclipsing the $5 million result achieved
for the first Eric Clapton sale organized by Christie’s in 1999. The top lot of
the evening was ‘Blackie,’ the black and white composite Fender Stratocaster
that served as Clapton’s sole stage and studio guitar from 1970 till 1985.
‘Blackie’ was sold for $959,500, becoming the most expensive guitar ever to
have been sold at auction. Proceeds of the sale will benefit Crossroads Centre
in Antigua, an addiction treatment center established by Eric Clapton in 1998.
Upon hearing the results of tonight’s sale, Eric Clapton, who is currently
touring the country, commented: “I am thrilled at the result which is going to
be of enormous help to us in achieving our long term aims at the Centre. On
behalf of myself, but above all on behalf of all the future clients who will
benefit from the enhanced facilities at the Centre, and those who will receive
free or assisted treatment as a result of this sale, I want to say a big ‘thank
you’ to all of those who have come along today and played a part in making this
for me and everyone connected with the Centre, a very memorable occasion.”
Tim Sinnott, Executive Officer of Crossroads Centre, who was present during the
sale and its five-day viewing, said afterwards: ”Mr. Clapton’s generosity to
Crossroads Centre Antigua is an overwhelming gift to people in need of recovery
resources. The funds from the Guitar Auction at Christie’s will help Crossroads
in many different areas, including the completion of the 16-bed half-way house,
The Bevon House, and the continuation of Crossroads international financial
assistance programs. The impact of this auction will enable Crossroads Centre
to sail into the future to fulfill the mission and vision of its founder and
chairman: to provide affordable, accessible and quality addiction
rehabilitation treatment.”
One of the most significant guitars to come up
for sale was undoubtedly ‘Blackie,’ the composite Fender Stratocaster, circa
1956/1957, which in Eric Clapton’s own words “has become part of me.” Clapton
has tremendous affection for this guitar, and had an intense working
relationship with Blackie throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. Offered with a
$100,000-150,000 estimate, ‘Blackie’ sold for $959,500, breaking a world
auction record for any guitar. The first copy of the ‘Eric Clapton Signature
Stratocaster,’ modeled after ‘Blackie’ and extensively used by Clapton from
1990 onwards was bought for $231,500 against an estimate of $8,000-12,000.
A credible rival to ‘Blackie’ in stellar ranking was Clapton’s 1964 cherry-red
Gibson ES-335. This famous Gibson is the second electric guitar Eric Clapton
ever bought, and the one he is most sentimental about. Clapton used this guitar
throughout his remarkable career, from his time with the Yardbirds until today.
The Gibson was offered with its case, which has the word ‘Cream’ and the
initials ‘EC G ES’ stenciled in white paint on the exterior and also carries a
label inscribed by Lee Dickson “Auction(Sadly!).” The intense bidding war sent
shocks of excitement through the room and when the hammer finally came down the
price had soared to $847,500 against a $60,000-80,000 estimate. It is a world
auction record for any Gibson guitar.
The instrument that changed the role
of the acoustic guitar in rock music forever was the 1939, 000-42 Martin
Clapton played on the ‘Unplugged’ album. Against a $60,000-80,000 estimate, it
sold for $791,500, a world auction record for any Martin guitar.
‘Crash 3,’
Clapton’s newest graffiti Fender Stratocaster has a unique story. Used by
Clapton since the start of the 2004 concert tour, the guitar was scheduled to
come to Christie’s after the Dallas Crossroads Festival in early June. However,
Clapton liked it so much that he decided to continue playing it for as long as
he could. ‘Crash 3’ finally arrived at Rockefeller Center this morning, fresh
from Clapton’s hands and was knocked down tonight for $321,100. Decorated by
the famous street-artist Crash, the Graffiti Stratocaster has become Clapton’s
first choice working guitar. This is the first of Clapton’s collection of
graffiti guitars to appear on the market.
Other spectacular prices were
achieved for ‘Ivan,’ the 12-string guitar Clapton co-designed with Tony
Zemaitis in 1969 ($253,900); a custom, gold-leaf decorated Fender Stratocaster,
numbered EC-1, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the model ($455,500); and
‘The Rainbow Rod,’ a Fender Stratocaster, circa 1996, with an iridescent
finish, created by Roy Brizio, the famed Californian hot rod builder
($220,300).
From the group of guitars donated by musician friends to support
the Crossroads Centre, the spectacular ‘Lenny,’ the Fender Stratocaster Stevie
Ray Vaughan played from the 1970s onward until his tragic death in 1990, was an
absolute highlight. The guitar was donated by Stevie Ray Vaughan’s brother,
Jimmie, from the estate of SRV. It is the only personal guitar from SRV to have
been released from the Estate into the public domain and it sold tonight for
$623,500, the second highest price for a Fender Stratocaster. |
This Might be a record!
