The sale of Jeff Beck’s gear collection has generated $10.7m at auction, more than eight times the estimated pre-sale figure.
Over 130 guitars, amplifiers, and pedals were sold off by London auction house Christie’s after the late guitarist’s wife, Sandra Beck, said she wanted his gear to be played and loved once more. The full final price is $10,746,430 (£8,727,284)
Beck died in January 2023 at age 78, after a career that saw him play in the Yardbirds alongside Jimmy Page, search for reinvention in the wake of Jimi Hendrix’s meteoric rise, and establish himself as a one-of-a-kind solo artist, producing 11 studio albums.
He’s also proven a versatile gun for hire thanks to a host of superlative guest spots, writing and playing on tracks by Ozzy Osbourne, Bon Jovi, and Paul Rogers.
Underscoring Beck's global appeal, bids for his equipment came from 40 countries, with his rare Oxblood Gibson Les Paul, which featured on the Blow by Blow album cover, sold for just over $1,315,708 (£1,068,500).
The strangely modified ‘54 build was bought by the guitarist in 1972 after the original owner, who had requested the Memphis guitar store to make, never returned for it. Legend has it that Beck purchased the guitar for $300, ending his search for an LP with a tone “parallel to a Telecaster.”
Its final price doubled its estimate, making it the most expensive Gibson Les Paul ever sold. Duane Allman's 1957 Gibson Les Paul, sold for $1.25 million in 2019, had previously held the record.
Beck's 1959 ‘Yardburst’ Les Paul, which received a limited-edition $10,000 reissue last year, sold for $496,484 (£403,200), a huge upgrade on its $49,000-74,000 pre-sale estimate.
A hot-pink '83 Jackson Soloist, gifted to him by Grover Jackson and used on Tina Turner's Private Dancer album, broke another record as it fetched $543,029 (£441,000). It's now the most expensive Jackson ever sold.
The pedalboard used on his final tour in 2022 sold for $155,151 (£126,000) and Anoushka, a 1990/1993 Custom Shop Stratocaster was another big hitter as it sold for $1,241,211 (£1,008,000). It was named after the virtuosic sitar player Anoushka Shankar and features heavy wear from years of playing.
The guitar, which Christie’s Amelia Walker says represents “the power of Jeff’s live performances,” was subject to a nine-minute bidding war, ultimately selling for 50 times the pre-sale estimate.
Another oddball electric, the Tele-Gib — a crude hybrid of ‘59 Les Paul and Telecaster builds — went for a figure far higher than expected. It was gifted to him in 1974 by a luthier working near CBS Studios, where Beck was recording with Tim Bogert and Carmine Appice. By the way of thanks, Beck's manager offered the luthier the choose one of three disassembled guitars, opting for a Fender Esquire.
The six-string sold for $853,332, eight times its estimate, while his all-white 1960 Strat went for $543,000 (£441,000).
Proceeds for the final four items, which included a signature Strat, are set to be donated to Folly Wildlife Rescue in Tunbridge Wells, U.K. The charity has long been supported by Jeff and Sandra Beck, as well as their close friend, actor-turned-guitarist Johnny Depp.
The Strat was signed by the stars who featured at 2023 tribute concert to the guitarist at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Signees include Eric Clapton, Susan Tedeschi, and Kirk Hammett
As per the BBC, Sandra Beck has spoken positively of the experience, which will likely see his collection return to the stage, and several museums, in the long run.
“I am so happy that Jeff's guitars have been so popular amongst his fans and friends,” she says. “Thank you so much for your belief in Jeff's legacy.”
“We are thrilled with the results of Jeff Beck’s incredible collection, which pay testament to the legacy of a genius — a globally revered true rock legend,” adds Amelia Walker, Christie’s Specialist Head of Private & Iconic Collections, London. “Passionate bidders competed for every lot in the sale, with each achieving many multiples of their pre-sale estimate.”
