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Guitars used by rock star Noel Gallagher during the recording of Oasis’s debut album Definitely Maybe are among the items listed by Sotheby’s in its inaugural pop culture auction.
Several instruments, which played an important role in music history, have gone on display at an exhibition in London after bidding opened last month. Items include Gallagher’s guitars and a Steinway piano from Abbey Road studios that was played by both Lady Gaga and Amy Winehouse.
Sotheby’s is also auctioning an archive collection from John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s famous Bed-in For Peace protest, which features a handwritten letter by Lennon and a drawing believed to have been created while he was under the influence of LSD.
The opening of the sale coincided with the reissue of Oasis’s award-winning record, Definitely Maybe, as it celebrated 30 years since it was first released in 1994. The album became the fastest-selling debut in British music history and included classic anthems such as “Cigarettes and Alcohol” and “Live Forever”.
Three guitars owned and used by Gallagher in the recording ofDefinitely Maybe, one of which also features on the cover of their 1994 debut single “Supersonic”, will be included in the auction.
His Epiphone Les Paul Standard, seen in the music video and cover artwork for “Supersonic”, is expected to fetch between £60,000 to £80,000.
Fans can also bid on a 1980 Gibson Flying V guitar, previously owned by The Smiths’ Johnny Marr and used by Gallagher in the recording of “Cigarettes and Alcohol”, with an estimated price of £20,000 to £30,000.
His stage-played Epiphone EA-250 guitar, also estimated to fetch between £20,000 to £30,000, completes the trio.
Meanwhile, a stage-played VOX HDC-77 semi-hollow electric guitar, used extensively by the late Prince during his 3RDEYEGIRL era and played during his famous 15 July 2013 performance at Montreux Jazz Festival, could fetch more than £300,000.
Also in the collection is a Steinway grand piano, bought by Abbey Road studios in 1973 directly from the renowned manufactor and played by artists including Sir Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd, Paul Weller, Lady Gaga, and the late Amy Winehouse.
Katherine Schofield, head of popular culture at Sotheby’s, said: “Following the sale of the famous Abbey Road Mk IV recording console in 2017, a contemporary of this grand piano from Abbey Road, we have seen huge appetite for equipment from these famed studios.
“It’s fascinating to see how long this Steinway was used in Studio 3 and featured on recordings by a wide range of artists, such as Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd, Paul Weller, and Amy Winehouse on some of their seminal albums.”
The piano is expected to be sold for between £150,000 to £200,000.
Bidding closes on Friday 12 September at 2pm BST. The exhibition at the New Bond Street galleries is open now.
