The most expensive musical instruments

Musical instruments have always been not just a means of creating music, but also real works of art. Some of them are so expensive that they can compete with masterpieces of painting or sculpture. Let's look at the most expensive musical instruments of different categories.

String instruments

Violins made by the Italian master Antonio Stradivari (1644–1737) are among the most valuable in the world. For example, the MacDonald viola (1719) was put up for sale for a record $45 million in 2014, but never found a buyer. In total, the master made about 1,100 instruments, 650 of which have survived to this day, with only 10 violas remaining. These instruments are known for their unique sound and quality of workmanship.

Another famous instrument of this class is the violin of Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù (1698-1744), made in 1741. This violin is known as the "Vieuxtemps" (after the famous Belgian violinist and composer Henri Vieuxtemps) and was sold at auction for $16 million in 2012. It is believed that there are only about 150 violins made by Guarneri left, each of which is a true pearl of the musical world.

When it comes to guitars, one of the most expensive examples is David Gilmour's Fender Black Strat. The electric guitar was made between 1968 and 1969 and was painted black over the original sunburst finish. David made many different modifications to the design, which was supposed to reduce the cost, but its involvement with Pink Floyd and influence on the sound of world music did their job. The lot was sold for $3.9 million at a charity auction in 2019.

Wind instruments

Although the trumpet is not the most expensive instrument among the brass instruments, it is of great historical value. Model 19, a medium-bore balanced action, was made by Henri Selmer in Paris in 1947. It belonged to the legendary jazz musician Louis Armstrong and is one of the few that has the artist's name engraved on the side. The exhibit personifies an entire era of jazz and has become a symbol of Armstrong's musical genius, was sold at Christie's auction for $ 275 thousand in 2020.

Also worth mentioning is Charlie Parker's King Super 20 Alto saxophone. It has an engraved silver bell with a floral design and the artist's name, and some of the keys are decorated with mother-of-pearl inlays. King sold at a memorabilia auction in New York for $262,000 in 2005. Although this amount may seem small compared to other instruments, this alto has great historical value, as it belonged to one of the greatest jazz musicians of the 20th century.

Keyboard instruments

The Yamaha C2 grand piano that Freddie Mercury bought for £1,000 in 1975 and kept for the rest of his life has sold for $2.2 million in a sale of 1,500 of the singer's belongings at Sotheby's. The sum surpassed that paid for John Lennon's Steinway, which he used to write "Imagine" and which George Michael bought in 2000. The artist composed "Bohemian Rhapsody" at the piano, as well as many subsequent songs, including his final opera number, "Barcelona".

The piano featured in the 1942 film Casablanca became the most expensive piano ever sold. The piano appears in several key scenes and is a symbolic part of the film. The sound quality of this famous instrument remains a mystery, as no one played it in the film. Instead, a pianist played a song off-stage while the characters acted out their roles. The lot was among 200 items from Hollywood's golden age and sold at auction in New York for $3.4 million.

One of the most expensive drum kits is the Ludwig Oyster Black Pearl drum kit (1963), which belonged to Ringo Starr, the drummer of The Beatles. The drum kit was used to record hits such as "Can't Buy Me Love" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand", more than 160 songs and 28 different BBC radio broadcasts. This kit was sold at auction by Julien's Auction House for $2.11 million in 2015.

A 1968 Premier drum kit by legendary drummer Keith Moon, featuring a chrome finish and The Who logo in orange and black. Used by him between 1968 and 1970 on a variety of occasions, including: The Rolling Stones' Rock N Roll Circus (1968); The Who's U.S. tour (1969); Woodstock (1969); Isle Of Wight (1969); Leeds University concert (1970). The lot sold at auction for £139,650 ($252,487) thousand in 2004.

Conclusion

These examples show how varied and expensive musical instruments can be, but their value is often determined not only by the cost of the materials, but also by the history associated with them, the craftsmanship involved, and the reputation of the manufacturer.

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