“On this guitar, he carved out his legacy of being one of the greatest guitarists of all time”: Rory Gallagher’s iconic ’61 Fender Stratocaster is heading to auction for the first time ever

Rory Gallagher’s legendary 1961 Fender Stratocaster – which the blues rock virtuoso used to cement himself as one of the all-time greats of guitar music – is set to be sold at auction via Bonhams.

It’s the first lot from “The Rory Gallagher Collection”, which will oversee the sale of numerous items from the guitar master’s gear collection, from his most iconic guitars to a selection of amps and accessories.

Given its significance, the ’61 Strat – deemed one of the most recognizable Strats in rock history – is leading the way, and is set to be offered with an estimate of £700,000 – £1,000,000.

Few Strats are as easily identifiable as Gallagher’s. The Irish icon played a handful of electric guitars during his career – including a ’59 Fender Esquire and a ‘63 Gretsch Corvette – but it’s the heavily battered Strat for which Gallagher is best known.

As the story goes, it had originally belonged to Jim Conlon, who had allegedly ordered a red Strat but was forced to play the sunburst model when the wrong model showed up.

Once the red Strat eventually did make it to Conlon, this particular example was put on sale, and Gallagher purchased it for £100 in 1963 from Michael Crowley of Crowley’s Music Store in Cork.

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As such, it was reportedly the first Strat to ever land on Irish shores (an American instrument in Ireland in the early ’60s would have been remarkably rare) and quickly became synonymous with Gallagher and his music.

The Strat is particularly noted for its heavily relic’d state, which is the indicator of its long career in the hands of Gallagher.

And, during the pair’s prolific partnership, the Strat underwent numerous modifications that made it the instrument it is today.

Among those mods were a handful of pickup changes, a neck replacement that was temporarily required (due to the moisture and sweat the original absorbed during gigs), new tuners and a replacement pickguard.

Then there’s the state of the guitar’s once-sunburst finish. As per Gallagher’s official website, one of the main reasons behind the Strat’s stripped condition is the fact it spent days in a rainy ditch after it had been stolen from Gallagher in 1966.

Since Gallagher’s passing in 1995, the Strat has been in the possession of Rory’s brother and former manager, Dónal, who believes now is the right time to let other people “cherish” the instrument.

“Since 1995, I have always felt that there was a mission to be fulfilled to cement Rory’s legacy and widen the knowledge of his music,” Dónal says. “So, in what is one of the most difficult and sensitive decisions to reach, I have decided to facilitate the release of his instruments for sale, so that these emblems of his legacy can be enjoyed by others.”

“Rory Gallagher’s 1961 Fender Stratocaster is one of the world’s most recognisable guitars,” adds Claire Tole-Moir, Head of Bonhams’ Popular Culture Department. “It was an enormous part of Rory Gallagher’s life and was with him from the very start of his career right until the end.

“It could be said that it was on this guitar that he carved out his legacy of being one of the greatest guitarists of all time. Bonhams is honoured to be entrusted with bringing this iconic Stratocaster to auction and is excited to announce the landmark sale of Rory Gallagher’s extensive collection.”

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It’s set to be one of 2024’s most notable guitar auctions, and if it gets close to the upper end of its estimate, Gallagher’s ’61 Strat could end up becoming one of the most expensive guitars to ever sell at auction.

“He was one of a very few people at that time, who could make his guitar do anything. It just seemed to be magic,” Brian May says of Gallagher and his guitar. “I remember looking at this battered Stratocaster and thinking, ‘How does that come out of there?’

“One of the reasons I do what I do is because of Rory.”

The auction will take place on October 17.

Head over to Bonhams to find out more.

To explore the Strat in greater detail, check out Total Guitar‘s deep dive into Gallagher’s gear collection, and watch Guitarist demo his live various rigs.