“I’d heard these rumours that ‘it’s even been a sunburst’… I’ve read that one, too. But I could find no evidence of this”: Up close and personal with Gary Moore’s mythical 1960 Fender Stratocaster – the $330,000 Strat that lit up his Red House performance

Gary Moore's 1960 Fender Stratocaster: the iconic, battle-scarred red Strat is up for auction at Bonham's.

Steve Clarke has one of the best – but most exacting – jobs in the vintage guitar world. The author of Famous Frets is Bonhams’ authenticator for guitar collections such as Gary Moore’s and also sympathetically prepares the guitars for auction.

Having featured guitars for major auctions such as the much-publicised sale of Rory Gallagher’s Strat, his workbench is no stranger to high-profile instruments. But Gary Moore’s ‘Red Strat’ is surely up there with anything he’s examined before in terms of iconic electric guitars.