Auction Of Guitars, Memorabilia Owned By Late Les Paul Fetches $5M
BEVERLY HILLS (AP) — 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), a NY license plate ($10,000) and guitar schematics ($40,625).
Paul invented one of the world's most widely played guitars, the Gibson Les Paul. The sale concluded Saturday, his 97th birthday.
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