The sale of Jim Irsay’s collection at Christie’s will undoubtedly go down as one of the most significant events in the recent history of the guitar. An extraordinary sale, impressive records, and above all, instruments that you literally encounter only once in a lifetime. Some of you followed the event closely, and we were fortunate enough to be there, get close to these legendary pieces and, in some cases, play them. Today, we invite you to relive these moments with us.
The Legendary Guitars of the Jim Irsay Collection
Among the most memorable moments was, of course, the time spent with the legendary David Gilmour Black Strat, which became the most expensive guitar ever sold at auction. A central instrument in Pink Floyd’s history, it embodies a part of the band’s atmospheric and emotional sound all on its own. In your hands, it is an almost unreal experience: exceptional clarity, impressive harmonic depth, and that unique feeling that every note seems to float in space. A guitar that does not simply play music, but tells the story of an entire sonic aesthetic.
Another memorable moment: the famous Eric Clapton “Fool” SG, a Gibson entirely decorated in a psychedelic style that has become iconic. An instrument associated with Cream, it symbolizes an era when the boundaries between music, visual art and cultural experimentation were particularly fluid. Holding it in your hands is almost like stepping into a complete work of art, where every visual detail seems to extend the music itself.
We also had the opportunity to get close to a 1964 George Harrison SG, used during a pivotal period for The Beatles, particularly around the Revolver era. A guitar that is more understated in appearance, but imbued with a powerful, almost intimate emotional dimension, connected to the band’s musical evolution towards more experimental and introspective territory.
Three guitars. Three worlds. Three fragments of the history of rock and modern music. But beyond these major pieces, this sale offered a complete immersion into a cultural heritage of exceptional richness: instruments, personal belongings, tour memorabilia, archives… each element told something about the making of the music we still listen to today.
An Immersion in the History of Rock
What we experienced went far beyond the scope of a simple auction. It was a direct dive into the history of rock, a face-to-face encounter with instruments that shaped sounds that became universal. A rare, almost unreal experience, reminding us that some guitars are much more than objects: they are living witnesses to their era.
We captured everything: the sensations, the sounds, the details, the suspended moments. You can now relive the whole experience on our social media, through the videos filmed on site, at the heart of this historic sale.
