“One of the world’s most recognizable guitars”: Rory Gallagher’s 1961 Fender Stratocaster sells at auction for a whopping $1.16 million

Rory Gallagher plays his 1961 Fender Stratocaster onstage (left), the 1961 Fender Stratocaster in question.

Back in July, it was announced that Rory Gallagher's guitar gear would, three decades after the blues-rock titan's untimely passing, go up for auction.

Now, the pearl of the lot, Gallagher's iconic, well-worn 1961 Fender Stratocaster, has sold for a tidy sum of £889,400, which equates to roughly $1.16 million. This makes the Strat – cited by auction house Bonhams as “one of the world’s most recognizable guitars” – one of the most expensive guitars ever sold at auction.