When the guitar collection of a legendary guitarist goes on sale, it’s normally dominated by guitars that garner record sums. From electrics that were used on platinum-selling albums to vintage unobtainium, such auctions are generally composed of instruments that average guitarists can only dream of – partly because of their provenance and partly because rockstars tend to own vertiginously high-end equipment.
The late Peter Green’s guitar collection is a more interesting proposition, however. Though it contains many highly sought-after instruments, it also reflects the tastes of a man who maintained a broad and unpretentious interest in guitars throughout his life. Some were played daily, while others were bought seemingly on a whim to form a collection of well over 100 instruments that includes many rare vintage guitars but also workaday modern instruments, from Strat clones to seaweed-hued semis. Turkish lutes and bulky archtops sit cheek by jowl with high-end British acoustics and chainstore electrics – a huge spectrum of sounds to suit a broad and enquiring musical mind.
Now, three years after Peter’s passing, his guitar collection is coming up for sale at prestigious London auction house Bonhams, along with some of Peter’s self-penned artworks and Fleetwood Mac grails such as the original hand-written lyrics to . The auction, which will be online only, will take place from 16 to 28 June. But with so many guitars going under the hammer, it’s clear someone must have had a heck of a job authenticating,book, which forensically traces the history of some of rock’s most iconic guitars. Today, Steve is Bonhams’ go-to man for high-profile guitar sales of this kind and he was happy to tell us a little more about the many interesting instruments that ended up on his workbench while he was preparing Peter Green’s guitars for auction.
