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David Gilmour’s Black Strat to be auctioned again

Posted November 6, 2025 by Floydian Slip

“The Black Strat,” David Gilmour‘s fabled Fender Stratocaster guitar he played on so many classic Pink Floyd recordings and on stage, will be going on the auction block (again) in March.

The Floyd guitarist auctioned the instrument along with a bevvy of other guitars in June 2019 raising $21.5 million for ClientEarth, an organization that funds attorneys and other experts to fight climate change. The Black Strat alone sold for $3,975,000, purchased by Jim Irsay, owner of the Indianapolis Colts.

Christie’s New York is now scheduled to sell it again as part of Irsay’s enormous collection going on the block following his death May 21. The collection will be auctioned over a series of events beginning in March.

Other instruments included in the auction were owned and played by all four Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Prince, Jerry Garcia, Bob Dylan, Kurt Cobain, Eddie Van Halen, Eric Clapton, Bo Diddley, Janis Joplin, Elton John, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Jim Morrison, and dozens more.

Gilmour bought the Black Strat at Mannie’s Music in New York City in May 1970, and played it extensively through the ’70s and into the ’80s on recording such as “The Dark Side of the Moon” (1973), “Wish You Were Here” (1975), “Animals” (1977) and “The Wall” (1979).

Free public exhibitions will accompany the sales at Christie’s, which is located at 20 Rockefeller Plaza. Read more about the auctions

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Vegetable Man lyric sheet to be auctioned

Posted October 27, 2022 by Floydian Slip

Bonhams will auction Syd Barrett‘s handwritten lyrics to “Vegetable Man” next month.

The song was recorded by Pink Floyd in mid-October 1967 to be included on the band’s second album “A Saucerful of Secrets” (1968). The track was instead shelved for nearly 50 years, when it was finally released as part of the boxset “The Early Years: 1965–1972” (2016).

According to Bonhams, the lyric sheet “was acquired by Pink Floyd’s first manager at the time the song was written and has been in his possession since.”

It consists of each verse and the chorus written across 32 lines over two pages of lined paper in blue ballpoint pen with handwritten musical chords. It’s being sold with a letter concerning its provenance.

Bonhams indicates this will be the first time a complete set of lyrics handwritten by Barrett will be offered at auction. It estimates the item will sell for £30,000 to £40,000, approximately $35,000 to $46,000 in U.S. currency.

The auction takes place Nov. 16 at 1 p.m. GMT in London. Learn more at the Bonhams website.

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Syd Barrett guitar sells for £20k

Posted October 29, 2021 by Floydian Slip

A guitar once owned by Pink Floyd co-founder Syd Barrett sold at auction yesterday for £19,920 ($27,456 US).

The 12-string Yamaha manufactured in 1969, sold by Barrett’s nephew, Mark Barrett, was expected to fetch £5,000 to £10,000.

The winning bid was placed online from France.

Proceeds of the auction benefited two charities: Mind and the Arthur Rank Hospice.

A garden table made by Syd sold to the same bidder for £2,365. And a pair of lights from his basement studio went for £258.

A Cambridgeshire High School for Boys photo from 1959 — featuring Syd, Roger Waters and Storm Thorgerson — along with a ’61 program for “She Stoops to Conquer ” featuring Syd as Tom Twist, sold for £744.

Abbey Road to sell replica tape box for $275

Posted March 3, 2021 by Floydian Slip

Times is tough all over, we suppose.

Case and point: Abbey Road Studios, with full participation of Pink Floyd, according to the studios’ website, will sell a replica of the tape box that contains the band’s “The Dark Side of the Moon” (1973). On March 5, the studio will release a limited edition of 250 “folios” of the box priced at $275 each.

The studio describes the product as a replica of the “Quadrophonic discrete master – Side One EMI tape box, held deep within the EMI archive.

“Each handmade folio is numbered and includes a 500gsm box card black folder (37cm x 37cm with a 5cm lip) which encases the two replica litho prints (30cm x 30cm), recreated in exact life size dimensions and cradled with transparent corner holders,” according to the site. “Alongside this, it includes a leaflet looking back at the recording of The Dark Side of the Moon and a certificate of authenticity.”

Floyd made “Dark Side” beginning in May 1972 in Studio Two and Three at the EMI facility.

Abbey Road Studios says the actual “rarely seen” box is stored at EMI Archives in Hayes, London.

You can place your order online.

Here at “Floydian Slip” we’re bullish on all things Pink Floyd. So maybe we’re just feeling a little cynical today, but this seems a little excessive. Even to us.

The good news: International shipping to the U.S. is just $19.69.

Posted in Merchandise, Other | 1 comment

David Gilmour signature editions from Martin

Posted January 13, 2021 by Floydian Slip

David Gilmour has partnered with C.F. Martin & Co. Inc. to create two signature edition guitars to benefit the David Gilmour Charitable Foundation.

The Martin D-35 David Gilmour is a nod to the guitar Gilmour purchased used outside Manny’s Music Shop in New York City in the early-’70s. His primary acoustic for more than 40 years, the instrument fetched $1.2 million as part of a charitable auction of his guitars in 2019.

The 6- and 12-string versions sell for $5,499.

Learn more and find a dealer at the Martin website.

Posted in David Gilmour, Merchandise, Other, Personnel | 1 comment

Up for bid: “Floydian Slip” studio monitor speakers

Posted September 16, 2020 by Floydian Slip

We’ve put up for bid a wee bit of “Floydian Slip” kit: our JBL Creature II Computer Speakers.

This speaker system — two satellite tweeters and sub-woofer — has served as the primary monitoring system for our production studio for more than 10 years.

Learn more and bid

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David Gilmour’s Black Strat and other guitars to be auctioned after going on display

Posted January 29, 2019 by Floydian Slip

In March, Christie’s will auction more than 120 of David Gilmour‘s guitars, including his legendary “Black Strat.”

The auction will take place at Christie’s in New York City on June 20. All proceeds will go to charity.

The entire collection will be on display at Christie’s on King Street, London, March 27-31. Selected guitars will then be displayed in Los Angeles May 7-11 before the New York sale preview June 14-19.

Gilmour’s highly-modified 1969 black Fender Stratocaster is the auction’s highlight. Expected to fetch $100,000-$150,000, Gilmour used it extensively between 1970 and 1986 on albums such as The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), Wish You Were Here (1975), Animals (1977) and The Wall (1979).

The only explanation offered as to why he’s liquidating his collection comes from this statement provided by Christie’s:

“Many of the guitars in this sale are guitars that have given me a tune,” says Gilmour. “So a lot of them have earned their keep, you might say.

“These guitars have given so much to me, and it’s time for them to move on to other people who hopefully will find joy, and perhaps create something new.”

Presumably, Gilmour has many other instruments to keep him strumming along.

Also included in the sale: his 1954 white Fender Stratocaster #0001 (estimated at $100,000-150,000); a 1955 Gibson Les Paul played on “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2) ($30,000-50,000); a rare Gretsch White Penguin 6134 ($100,000-150,000); and many others.

Learn more at the Christie’s website

(Pictured, top: David Gilmour playing the Black Strat for the “Live at Abbey Road” series, Aug. 29, 2006. Photo: Polly Samson. Also: The Black Strat.)

Posted in David Gilmour, Merchandise, Other, Personnel | 1 comment

Original Pink Floyd album art on exhibit, for sale

Posted September 17, 2018 by Floydian Slip

Several pieces of original Pink Floyd album artwork by Hipgnosis and Gerald Scarfe are part of an exhibit in downtown San Francisco.

“Art of the Album Cover” opened Saturday at the San Francisco Art Exchange (SFAE). It’ll run through October.

The exhibit includes nearly 100 original works, including layered concept drawings for Floyd’s “The Dark Side of the Moon” (1973), “considered to be the single most valuable artwork in rock history,” according to SFAE.

The drawings constitute a three-layer mock-up done on transparent paper that served as a guide for the printer in manufacturing the cover.

According to the exhibit’s catalog, “These drawings were utilized in much the same way that builders construct a house. The final ‘work of art’ is the house itself, but the creative original artworks were the plans for the house (think Frank Lloyd Wright). These three drawings bring the final artwork to life as each is superimposed over the other — guiding the printer to the final achievement.”

Frank Floyd Wright, more likely.

The price of the “Dark Side” piece is listed only as “Price on request” in the SFAE catalog. “The most expensive prices aren’t shown for a variety of reasons,” SFAE founder and executive director Jim Hartley explained to Floydian Slip. “Several of the more spectacular pieces go into the seven figures, as you might imagine.”

Other Floyd-related pieces include the original montage to 1969’s “Ummagumma” and a C-print photo of that album’s back cover; the original dye-transfer airbrushed photo that appeared on the cover of the U.K. edition of “Wish You Were Here” (1975); a number of Scarfe sketches of the band from its ’74 U.K. winter tour program; and a 2017 commemorative print of “The Wall.”

All original Floyd pieces are signed.

Other albums featured at the exhibit include “Abbey Road,” “Rubber Soul,” “Meet the Beatles,” “Beggars Banquet,” “Candy-O,” “Hair,” “The Best of the Doors,” “Blonde on Blonde,” “At Folsom Prison” (Johnny Cash), and many more.

All pieces come from private, corporate, and artists’ collections from around the world.

The exhibit catalog is available as a download, along with the price list.

More information is available at info@sfae.com or (415) 441-8840.

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AIR Studios for sale

Posted May 8, 2018 by Floydian Slip

Associated Independent Recording (AIR) Studios in London is up for sale.

Founded by Beatles producer Sir George Martin in 1969, Pink Floyd recorded portions of its “Meddle” album (1971) there. David Gilmour also recorded at the facility during his work with Unicorn, Paul McCartney, Bryan Ferry, John Martyn, Pete Townshend and others.

AIR co-owner Paul Woolf told Billboard, “We’re a pair of old farts, basically. We’ve worked very hard over a number of years to get business in really solid shape, but there’s always a future path and it’s time to go.

“There’s someone out there who’s younger and who has got the tenacity that we had when we were 40,” he added.

The property, housed at London’s Lyndhurst Hall since 1991, contains approximately $6 million worth of equipment.

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“Floydian Slip” store opens

Posted April 20, 2018 by Floydian Slip

We’ve made available for sale a handful of “Floydian Slip” promotional items at https://www.floydianslip.com/shop/.

If you’ve been looking for another brick for your wall — or some other show-branded stuff — it’s here.

We’ll throw in a handful of “Floydian Slip” stickers with each order … free of charge.

Shop now

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