Les Paul guitar auction fetches nearly $5M

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — An auction of guitars and memorabilia owned by the late Les Paul, known as the godfather of the electric guitar, has raised nearly $5 million for a foundation in his name benefiting music education and innovation.

Julien’s Auctions of Beverly Hills said Sunday that the two-day sale fetched record-setting prices for guitars. The items most coveted by rock musicians, museum curators and collectors included a 1951 Fender No-Caster, which sold for $216,000, a 1982 Gibson Les Paul that went for $180,000 and a 1940s Epiphone Zephyr that fetched $144,000.

Other Paul memorabilia included a recording console ($106,250), research notes ($28,125) and guitar schematics ($40,625).

Paul invented one of the world’s most widely played guitars, the Gibson Les Paul. The sale concluded Saturday, on what would have been his 97th birthday. -end

I wish I could have attended the auction despite not having any money to actually bid with.  It would have been like going to a guitar and recording studio museum exhibit.  There has been no mention that I could find regarding any famous attendees or who actually won any of the auctioned items.  I hope some of the items were won by people who will actually use them periodically instead of becoming part of an investment portfolio.

http://guitarwtf.com/2012/05/03/les-paul-auction-catalog/