Some guitars have a story. Others have made history. The one that has just arrived at Matt’s Guitar Shop clearly belongs to the latter category. This guitar was acquired in 1984 by Kevin Armstrong, a British guitarist renowned for his work alongside major rock figures. In his hands, it didn’t just accompany a few anonymous sessions; it played a role in recordings that have become iconic. Armstrong used it on Iggy Pop’s *Blah Blah Blah* album, then on David Bowie’s *Absolute Beginners*, not to mention the legendary “Dancing in the Street” single recorded by Bowie and Mick Jagger.
But its story doesn’t end there.
In 1985, the same guitar took the stage at Live Aid, accompanying David Bowie in one of the most memorable concerts of the 20th century. In front of millions of viewers worldwide, it was one of those instruments that carried the energy of a now-legendary event. Few guitars can claim such a moment in their journey.
A few years later, Kevin Armstrong asked David Bowie to sign the instrument. The gesture was significant. Armstrong was raising funds to replace a 1965 Stratocaster that had been stolen at Los Angeles airport. Bowie agreed. His signature in silver on the guitar’s top permanently cemented its status as a historic object. Today, the guitar bears both Kevin Armstrong’s and David Bowie’s signatures, visible in silver pen on its body. A backstage photograph in Gothenburg during the Glass Spider Tour, where Iggy Pop opened for Bowie, immortalizes the moment and further confirms the guitar’s exceptional provenance.
The nicks, chips, and marks are numerous. They tell the story of studios, tours, backstage, transport trucks, and sleepless nights. They tell the story of music.
This is not a static collector’s piece. It is not a speculative object. It is an instrument that has accompanied Bowie, Iggy Pop, and Mick Jagger. A direct witness to an era when popular music redefined cultural codes on a global scale.
At Matt’s Guitar Shop, we have always believed that some guitars carry more than just sound. They carry fragments of stage, bursts of spotlights, choruses sung by entire stadiums. This one vibrated at Live Aid. It resonated on major 1980s albums. It was signed backstage on a world tour. From studios to Wembley. From legendary sessions to historic stages.
