Compared to these, a Lloyd Loar seems positively reasonable!

**Bob Bronow** · Mar-19-2012, 11:42am

The ten most expensive guitars ever sold.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/n...?frame=2162741

**Tom C** · Mar-19-2012, 11:52am

Loars are bought for what they are. Not who owned them.

**djweiss** · Mar-19-2012, 11:57am

Except for Big Mon's...

**Justus True Waldron** · Mar-19-2012, 1:33pm

I think what that article taught me was that if you want your instrument to be worth a lot of money, have eric clapton own it. Or touch it. Or look at it, or think about looking at it....

**Bob Bronow** · Mar-19-2012, 1:35pm

Originally Posted by justus true waldron

i think what that article taught me was that if you want your instrument to be worth a lot of money, have eric clapton own it. Or touch it. Or look at it, or think about looking at it....

lol!

**journeybear** · Mar-19-2012, 2:06pm

Clapton puts guitars up for auction (for charity) fairly often, unlike most other guitarists of similar stature, AFAIK, hence their inclusion in the top ranks. I like that Bob Marley had only seven guitars, unlike many other major guitarists as noted on this other thread.

**Bernie Daniel** · Mar-19-2012, 4:06pm

The list is incomplete Jerry Garcia's two custom guitars sold for close to 2 million in 2002.

**SternART** · Mar-19-2012, 4:51pm

Yeah what like of list makes a major omission like that?
Can't trust 'everything' you read on the internet!

**mandopete** · Mar-19-2012, 4:57pm

I can't wait to see what the guitar that Peyton Manning used to play when he was with the Indianappolis Colts goes for!

**Bob Bronow** · Mar-19-2012, 4:59pm

Originally Posted by SternART

Can't trust 'everything' you read on the internet!

Very true. It was Thomas Jefferson who said that, right?

**Paul Busman** · Mar-19-2012, 7:04pm

I SO don't get the collectible thing. Is it just me?
I mean, even if Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix played a particular guitar on the surface of the moon, with Jim Morrison singing and Buddy Rich on drums, at the end of the day it's just a freakin' guitar.

**if6was9** · Mar-20-2012, 1:33am

Originally Posted by Paul Busman

at the end of the day it's just a freakin' guitar.

I once played a guitar that was previously owned by Jimi Hendrix (and Stephen Stills after Hendrix). I didn't think it was anything particularly special but its owner loved it and thought it was the most inspiring guitar he had ever played.

At the end of the day, playing a guitar is a totally subjective experience and different players respond to different things about it.

**barney 59** · Mar-20-2012, 2:03am

So this guys getting the the St Pete tour of heaven and he sees a guy with wire rimmed glasses sitting on cloud playing a guitar. So the guy asks St. Peter, "Is that Eric Clapton over there?" St. Peter reply's "Nah, that's God, he just thinks he's Clapton!"

**Ivan Kelsall** · Mar-20-2012, 3:00am

Eric Clapton gave away many Guitars in the past during the period where he was in VERY bad way due to the use of 'naughty' substances.I believe that he was in such a bad state at times,that some of the Guitars weren't exactly 'given'. As JB says,he's auctioned a lot of Guitars to raise money,mainly for the drug re-habilitation centre that he set up several years back in Antigua.
To say that they're "just a freakin' Guitar" is fine,as long as we can also say that Bill Monroe's iconic Mandolin is 'just a freakin' Mandolin'. Again,that's fine by me - but it's not the Mandolin we all think of,it's the guy who played it,& for me the same thing applies to these Guitars,each played by musicians every bit as good within their own genre as Bill Monroe was in his. What Guitar would i like to own ? - Les Paul's own Guitar,complete with the 'Paulveriser',
Ivan

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**WaveRay** · Mar-20-2012, 7:45am

The prices were paid, I think, not for a guitar but for THAT guitar because of who owned it. Technically, it IS "just a freakin guitar". Some folks find the past ownership special in some way. Probably different in that way as the next guy who bought one. I understand it. I don't think I'd go that far personally but I understand why some would. It's like having a special baseball on a stand in your bedroom. It's just a freakin baseball. I mean, if you get right down to it, what's an autograph good for? It's just writing on something.
Personally, I think I would rather have a photo of my favorite artist playing one of my instruments (one that I love) with a little note from him/her mentioning the photo. That would be cool.
Anyway, to each his own, I guess.

**farmerjones** · Mar-20-2012, 8:16am

Indeeded the charity factor skews things (prices). Mojo, on the other hand, is in the hands of the beholder. I think to those sports and music memorabilia stores, where somebody signs a so-so guitar, then it's framed and sold. Two sided coin: Exploitation on the tails. Ispiration on the heads. Not for me, but i ain't everybody.