Back in 2019, David Gilmour's iconic black Stratocaster shattered records when it was sold at auction for an incredible $3,975,000, making it at the time the most expensive guitar ever sold at auction (indeed, today it remains the most expensive non-Kurt-Cobain-related guitar to ever go under the hammer).
Its history speaks for itself – it was Gilmour's main guitar during Pink Floyd's golden era, during which the band recorded two of the best-selling albums of all time, and was used by Gilmour to record both the solos for Comfortably Numb, ranked (together) by this very publication as the third greatest guitar solo ever recorded. That said, Gilmour has lost no sleep over his decision to part ways with the Strat.
Asked by Guitar World how he felt about the guitar's sale five years down the line, Gilmour spoke excitedly of the funds the sale raised for environmental causes.
“The charity the money went to, ClientEarth, is doing the most extraordinary work throughout the world,” he said. “Every day – I got one this morning – there’s an email about a court case they’ve won somewhere in the world, against countries where they break their own laws on climate change and emissions, or against people who are building plastics factories or cutting down medieval forests in Poland.”
Pressed further about whether or not he felt a sense of loss with his sale of the Strat – which Gilmour prominently used in the classic Pink Floyd lineup's final performance at the 2005 Live 8 concert – the guitarist shrugged, “Fender did a David Gilmour model, so now I’ve got the Black Cat Strat. And it’s the same, you know? It does what it says on the tin.”
That said, the creation of the Fender model in question, which was launched in 2008, was rigorously overseen by Gilmour and his team.
“Phil Taylor, my guitar tech, insisted on a lot of affection from Fender before we’d agree to do it, and the David Gilmour Signature Strat is a fine, fine instrument – and we make sure it stays that way,” he explained. “We’re on their case about it regularly. I think they’ve done an extremely good job in making a beautiful guitar.”
So, would it pass a blindfold comparison with the real $4 million deal?
“It certainly would with me,” Gilmour asserted. “Why wouldn’t it?”
Gilmour is fresh off the release of Luck and Strange, his first new solo album in nine years. Cited by the man himself as his best work since Floyd's epochal Dark Side of the Moon, the album was produced by Alt-J and London Grammar producer Charlie Andrew, who challenged Gilmour's usual creative process.
To read Guitar World's full chat with Gilmour – which covers the making of the album, his home studio setup, and the guitars he wouldn't sell – pick up a new issue of the mag at Magazines Direct.
