Over 130 of Jeff Beck's guitars, amps, and ‘tools of the trade’ are set to go under the hammer in London on January 22, 2025, as part of Christie’s Jeff Beck: The Guitar Collection. The sale features some of Beck's most-used guitars throughout his six-decade-long career, spanning from his Yardbirds era to his last tour in 2022.
Commenting on the decision to sell his prized possessions, Jeff Beck's wife, Sandra Cash, said, “These guitars were his great love, and almost two years after his passing it's time to part with them, as Jeff wished. After some hard thinking, I decided they needed to be shared, played, and loved again.
“It is a massive wrench to part with them but I know Jeff wanted for me to share this love. He was a maestro of his trade. I hope the future guitarists who acquire these items are able to move closer to the genius who played them.”
As expected from the instruments of such an esteemed guitarist, Beck's guitars are anticipated to fetch hefty prices. The sale is led by one of his most recognizable guitars – his iconic 1954 ‘Oxblood’ Gibson Les Paul.
This heavily modified Les Paul, estimated to sell for between £350,000 and £500,000 ($442,000–$632,000), was purchased in November 1972 in Memphis.
It saw extensive action throughout the 1970s, most notably in the power trio Beck, Bogert & Appice, and during his performance alongside David Bowie and Mick Ronson at London’s Hammersmith Odeon in July 1973.
However, it's best known as the centerpiece of the cover of his 1975 album, Blow by Blow, and for being one of the four guitars he used to record this seminal record.
Another storied Les Paul in the collection is the so-called ‘Yardburst,’ a 1959 Gibson Les Paul best known for its role during Beck’s Yardbirds era. Now estimated to sell for up to £60,000 ($75,791), the guitar was originally purchased for £175 at Selmer’s in Charing Cross, London, in early 1966.
It was used on many key recordings, including Over Under Sideways Down, from The Yardbirds' 1966 album, Roger the Engineer, the epochal Happenings Ten Years Time Ago, his Jimmy Page-co-written solo track Beck’s Bolero, and his debut studio solo album, Truth.
It also saw heavy onstage use in 1968, including the Jeff Beck Group's famous residency at The Scene in New York, where nightly encores saw Jimi Hendrix join Beck and his band on stage.
The Tele-Gib is another Beck staple included in this auction. This hybrid guitar, put together specifically for Beck by Seymour Duncan, comprises a Fender Telecaster body and neck, with a pair of Gibson PAF humbucker pickups extracted from a Flying V. It's expected to fetch between £100,000 and £150,000 ($126,318 and $189,477).
Duncan brought the guitar to Beck while he was rehearsing with Beck, Bogert & Appice in London in late 1973. Eventually, it found its way onto Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers, from Blow by Blow, and was used in the 1981 benefit show The Secret Policeman’s Other Ball alongside Eric Clapton.
Beck’s 1954 Sunburst Fender Stratocaster was a gift from Humble Pie’s Steve Marriott and became one of his most prized possessions. It's now expected to sell for somewhere in the £50,000-£80,000 ($63,159-$101,054) range.
Beck replaced the existing Telecaster neck with a 1958 Stratocaster neck, turning this guitar into his principal performance and recording instrument throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, including the majority of the 1980 album There and Back.
‘Tina,’ a Pink Jackson Soloist – estimated to sell for £8,000-12,000 ($10,105-$15,158) – debuted during the 1983 ARMS benefit concert at New York’s Madison Square Garden. It was used in several important recording sessions, including those with Tina Turner – thus its nickname. Famously, Turner engraved her signature on it with a flick knife and then rubbed in green nail varnish for longevity’s sake.
Another highlight is Beck’s longest-serving Fender White Stratocaster, ‘Anoushka.’ Master-built by J.W. Black of the Fender Custom Shop, it features a neck that Beck favored, paired with a white Stratocaster body.
Named ‘Anoushka’ after sitar virtuoso Anoushka Shankar, who signed it for him, this guitar became his primary recording and performance instrument for 16 years – used to record four solo albums and in hundreds of shows, including Beck’s 2012 performance at the Obama White House alongside B.B. King and Mick Jagger. It's estimated price tag? Somewhere in £20,000-£30,000 ($25,263-$37,895) range.
Highlights from this sprawling collection will be on public view in Los Angeles from December 4 to 6, followed by a showing of the full collection in the pre-sale exhibition at Christie’s headquarters in London from January 15 to 22, 2025.
For more information, head to Christie's.
