Over 120 guitars, amps, and pedals from rock legend Jeff Beck's career have been auctioned in the UK, achieving a staggering total of nearly €10 million, far surpassing the pre-sale estimate by more than eight times.
Bidders from 40 countries competed for pieces of the British icon's musical legacy. The highlight of the auction was Beck's 1954 'Oxblood' Gibson Les Paul, which was initially estimated to sell for around €600,000 but ultimately fetched over €1.2 million after an intense four-minute bidding war.
Amelia Walker, head of Private & Iconic Collections at Christie's, noted the significance of the Oxblood, stating, "It is actually the third Gibson Les Paul that Jeff bought in late 1972, in Memphis while he was on tour, and it was the only guitar he played for the next two, three years."
Beck's widow, Sue, expressed her happiness about the auction's success, saying, "I am so happy that Jeff's guitars have been so popular amongst his fans and friends."
Other notable items included a customized solid-body electric guitar known as 'Anoushka', signed by Ravi Shankar's daughter, and the 1956 Fender 'Tele-Gib', a hybrid guitar Beck famously modified. A pedalboard used during Beck's final tour in 2022 also sold for an impressive €143,640, far exceeding its estimated value.
Twice inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Beck is regarded as one of the most influential rock guitarists of all time, having collaborated with legends like Rod Stewart, David Bowie, and Tina Turner.