There are many musical instruments in the world that are only valuable to their owners. But there are a few exceptional instruments that are worth millions of dollars.
Here top 10 most expensive musical instruments in history.
10. The Lady Tennant Stradivarius Violin – $$2 million
The first, but not the only violin by Antonio Stradivarius in this ranking. Sometimes this instrument is called "Lady Tennant-Lafon", in honor of one of its owners - the famous French violin virtuoso and composer Charles Philippe Lafon.
Many years after Lafon, it was acquired by a wealthy Scotsman, Charles Tennant, who gave it to his violinist wife. In 2005, the violin was auctioned at Christie's. It is possible that it will be sold more than once in the future, and for a significantly higher price - such things only increase in price.
9. John Lennon's Steinway Z Piano - $$2.1 million
The Model Z by Steinway & Sons is the most expensive piano ever sold and was used to play the iconic song Imagine.
After John Lennon's death, the piano was bought by a private British collector who loaned it to the Beatles History Museum in Liverpool.
In 2000, the piano was put up for auction again, and after a fierce "struggle" it went to singer George Michael. He later said that he bought it so that the Steinway Z would be visible to people, and decided to donate it to the Beatles Museum.
8. Electric guitar Reach out to Asia Fender Stratocaster - $2.7 million
A regular electric guitar from the Fender Stratocaster family can be bought for 85,000 rubles. However, the electric guitar sold at a charity auction in Qatar in 2004 is worth much more, because it has been in the hands of David Gilmour, Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton.
Proceeds from the sale of the instrument went to help victims of the tsunami in South Asia.
7. Stradivarius Hammer Violin – $3.5 million
The name Hammer has nothing to do with the shape or sound quality of the instrument. This Stradivarius violin bears the name of its first documented owner, Christian Hammer, a nineteenth-century Swedish collector.
In 2006, the Hummer was purchased at Christie's by an anonymous buyer.
6. David Gilmour's Fender Black Strat Electric Guitar - $$3.9 million
This black Stratocaster is inextricably linked with Gilmour's image, as it played Pink Floyd hits, from Dark Side Of The Moon to Animals.
However, in 2019, the most expensive electric guitar in the world was sold at auction for a phenomenal amount. And this is despite the fact that Gilmour made changes to the Black Strat, such as painting it black over the "original" Sunburst, and replacing the original maple neck with a maple one, but with a rosewood fingerboard. Usually, modifications reduce the price of the lot, but not in this case.
5. Kurt Cobain's Acoustic Guitar - $$6 million
In 2020, the media reported that the guitar of the late musician Kurt Cobain was sold at auction by Julien's Auctions.
A model called the Martin D-18E was the only guitar the Nirvana frontman played at an MTV Unplugged concert in 1993, a few months before the musician's death.
4. The Lady Blunt Stradivarius Violin - $15.9 million
This instrument has changed names several times depending on its owner. Its last name was given to Lady Anne Blunt, who owned the instrument for 30 years and sold it in 1895.
The precious violin retained its original appearance and was rarely played. To this day, the "Lady Blunt" is considered the best-preserved Stradivarius violin offered for sale in the last century.
3. “Vieutan” by Giuseppe Guarneri – $16 million
The most expensive violin sold to date was made by the eminent Italian violin maker, around 1741. It is considered to be Giuseppe Guarneri's finest creation.
Henri Vieuxtemps was an accomplished Belgian violinist and one of the owners of the Guarneri violin. The instrument was named after him. Over the years, the violin was in the hands of some of the most famous violinists. Among them were Sir Isaac Wolfsohn, Yehudi Menuhin, Itzhak Perlman and Pinchas Zukerman.
The Vieux Tang is in excellent condition even after being used for over two centuries, thanks to careful handling.
In 2012, it became known that the violin was bought for an unknown amount. Later, the buyer transferred the violin to the American violinist Anne Akiko Meyers for life. And in 2013, information about the amount of the transaction appeared.
2. Duport Cello by Stradivarius – $20 million (disputed)
This instrument is named after one of its owners, the French musician Jean-Louis Duport. The cello has a scratch on it, which was caused by Napoleon Bonaparte's rough handling when he mounted the instrument with his boots and spurs.
From 1974 to 2007, Duport belonged to Mstislav Rostropovich, and after his death, according to some sources, Galina Vishnevskaya sold the instrument for 20 million dollars to the Japanese music foundation Nippon Music Foundation. This organization rents instruments to musicians.
However, according to other sources, the owners of Duport remain the heirs of Mstislav Rostropovich.
1. Stradivarius MacDonald Viola – $45 million
Violas differ slightly from violins in size and the sound they produce. The MacDonald viola, created during Antonio Stradivari's "golden period" (1719), is the most expensive musical instrument in the world.
It was named not after the famous fast food chain, but after one of its owners, the third Baron MacDonald, Godfrey Bosville. At the moment, only two Stradivarius violas are in private collections, and the McDonald is one of them. This fabulously expensive item has been put up for auction several times, but has not changed hands yet.
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