Les Paul Guitar Auction Fetches Nearly $5M

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).

Photo: AP Photo

Iridium Jazz Club, New York City.

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.

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