NewsJanuary 22, 2025 2:42 PM ET3,398 views

Jeff Beck's Oxblood Les Paul guitar just sold for $1.3 million

jeff beck guitars

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A guitar owned by the late Jeff Beck has shattered expectations at auction, fetching £1,068,500 (~$1,317,111). The Oxblood Les Paul, featured on the cover of Beck's 1975 album Blow By Blow, originally began as a Gold Top before being modified. With a pre-auction estimate of £300,000–£500,000, the guitar became the star of Christie's Jeff Beck: The Guitar Collection auction.

Amelia Walker of Christie's explained the guitar's significance: 

Originally it was not an Oxblood. It was a Gold Top. Fans will know it from the cover of his debut solo album 'Blow By Blow', released in 1975, recorded with George Martin. He used it for the encore at the end of David Bowie's final performance as Ziggy Stardust in July 1973.

The auction showcased over 130 items spanning Beck's legendary career, including his iconic "Yardburst" 1958 Gibson Les Paul, purchased during his tenure with The Yardbirds in 1966, and several Fender Stratocasters, a guitar Beck famously described as an extension of himself.

My Strat is another arm. It's part of me. It doesn't feel like a guitar at all. It's an implement which is my voice.

 

 

 
 

Tags: Jeff Beck


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