The widow of Jeff Beck, Sandra, has parted with 128 of his guitars, amps, and other equipment from her late husband's legendary music career. The auction was held Wednesday, Jan. 22nd, at Christie's in London. The auction raked in $10.8 million, which is eight times the pre-sale estimate.
The biggest selling item was a 1954 Gibson Les Paul that went for $1.3 million. It was pictured on the cover of his 1975 "Blow By Blow" album and had a pre-auction estimate of $369,000 to $615,000. Beck also played it during the encore of David Bowie's final performance as "Ziggy Stardust," in July 1973, obviously adding to the value..
One hundred percent of the hammer price of the final four lots in the sale will benefit Folly Wildlife Rescue in Tunbridge Wells, England, a charity Beck and his wife supported.
Sandra says, "I am so happy that Jeff’s guitars have been so popular amongst his fans and friends. Thank you so much for your belief in Jeff’s legacy."
Beck died from bacterial meningitis on January 10th, 2023. He was 78.