Denmark Street Guitars has laid claim to making the most expensive guitar sale ever of over $1m.
The guitar was a ’58 Gibson Explorer, which went for $1,100,000 and is one of only 19 explorers produced in 1958.
The body is built from korina and it still sports a pair of original PAF humbucker pickups. While there have been guitars constructed as Explorer replicas, very few still exist and even fewer appear on the market. Other notable owners of the ’58 Explorer include Rick Nielson of Cheap Trick and Kirk Hammett of Metallica. In a press release, the store said that they believe the guitar sale is the highest priced transaction ever for a single guitar that has not been affiliated with an artist.
“I have been aware of a set of matching korina guitars for the last 10 plus years owned by a leading collector based in the US whom I have known since I was 16,” said Justin Harrison of Denmark Street Guitars.
“He always mentioned that he had the guitar but wanted $1 million plus [for it]. In speaking to the buyer and discussing his desire to own some classics guitars, I discussed that I was aware of a ’58 Explorer that was the holy grail of vintage instruments. After four to five days of going back and forth, I finalised the sale of this at $1.1 million”.
