Musical Instruments & Memorabilia
The craftsmanship involved in the most prized musical instruments affects the quality of sound they produce as well as their appearance. For example, string instruments made by the Italian Stradivari family – and particularly Antonio Stradivari – in the 17th and 18th centuries are said to produce a sound that has never been replicated even in similar designs.
Those instruments created by Antonio during his ‘golden period’ (1700-1720) command particularly strong prices. More recent instruments, such as electric guitars played by pop music giants of the 20th century also pull in large prices – such as Jimi Hendrix’s Woodstock Stratocaster, which was bought for a Seattle museum for $2m.
![img_15-2.jpg](/media/43562/img_15-2.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=132038847480000000)
Collectors tune into Diss sale for mechanical music delights
03 June 2019Best-seller and one of the biggest surprises at the white-glove sale of a mechanical music collection was a musical box, the catalogue entry of which could be summarised as ‘famous name, doesn’t work’.
![Sheeran.jpg](/media/43291/sheeran.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=132031879230000000)
Abbey Road Studios recordings from 18 stars including Ed Sheeran come to auction at Spink
28 May 2019Original master recordings from Abbey Road Studios of artists including Blondie, Ed Sheeran, Alanis Morissette and The Killers will be offered at auction in June.
![Bowie recording.jpg](/media/43252/bowie-recording.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=132030900970000000)
David Bowie’s rejected debut album tracks sell for double estimate figure at Merseyside auction
24 May 2019Tracks recorded by David Bowie for his 1967 debut album that were later rejected have been sold at auction for a hammer price of £16,000.
![Suggs](/media/43242/suggs-va.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=132030154260000000)
Madness donates costumes and memorabilia to Victoria and Albert Museum for theatre gallery
23 May 2019To celebrate 40 years since the release of Madness’ ‘One Step Beyond’ - the 1979 debut album by the British ska-pop group - the V&A has unveiled a collection of memorabilia.
![Beatles album.jpg](/media/42855/beatles-albim.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=132025630120000000)
Beatles 'Butcher' album cover sold for a record in Liverpool Fab Four memorabilia sale
17 May 2019John Lennon’s personal and signed ‘Butcher’ cover Yesterday and Today album prototype from 1966 sold for a record-breaking £180,000 ($234,400), including premium, in an auction held in Liverpool.
![Louis Majorelle and Victor Prouvé piano](/media/42571/tajan-piano-2393ieweb-13-05-19.jpg?rxy=0.37104825291181365,0.56&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=132019587910000000)
Art Nouveau ‘Dying Swan’ piano emerges in Paris auction
13 May 2019The upcoming Decorative Arts sale to be held by Tajan in Paris includes a number of pieces by one of the master craftsmen of the Art Nouveau movement – Louis Majorelle.
![img_42-1.jpg](/media/42183/img_42-1.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=132009546280000000)
Raise a glass to a Mozart note
29 April 2019Short message to a ‘true friend’ after opera debut appearance sells at Berlin auction house.
![Poul Henningsen’s grand piano](/media/41780/poul-henningsen-piano-2389ieweb-22-04-19.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=132000646250000000)
“I designed something entirely new” – early 1930s glass grand piano draws attention in Paris sale
22 April 2019A Modernist grand piano from 1931 by the Danish designer Poul Henningsen was the toast of a dedicated Scandinavian design sale held by Artcurial in Paris.
![img_23-4.jpg](/media/41596/img_23-4.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=131996228420000000)
18th century harpsichord is the key lot at Bath auction
15 April 2019With a documented provenance and inscribed by the maker Sébastien Garnier, Paris, 1747, a two-manual harpsichord was the top performer at the latest musical instruments sale held by Corsham, Bath, specialist Gardiner Houlgate (20% buyer’s premium).
![Elgar](/media/40331/elgarmanuscript.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=131986048220000000)
Elgar masterpiece found in autograph book snapped up at Midlands auction
01 April 2019A rediscovered melody by Sir Edward Elgar has been bought by a private buyer at auction in Lichfield after it was found in an autograph book.
![McCartney book](/media/41014/mccartney-book-2.jpg?rxy=0.45166666666666666,0.2635046113306983&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=131981558010000000)
McCartney’s English school book sells for £39,000 at auction in Merseyside
27 March 2019The English Literature school book of The Beatles’ Sir Paul McCartney has been bought at auction for £39,000.
![Joy Division Lyrics.jpg](/media/40341/joy-division-lyrics.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=131969655670000000)
Joy Division sale makes “unprecedented” results as Peter Hook sells huge archives
16 March 2019In 1977, three years before his untimely death, Joy Division’s singer songwriter Ian Curtis wrote the lyrics to ‘Failures’: “Wise words and sympathy/Tell the story of our history.”
![Elgar](/media/40331/elgarmanuscript.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=131986048220000000)
Lost Elgar masterpiece found in autograph book is heard for the first time in 100 years as it heads to auction
14 March 2019A rediscovered melody by Sir Edward Elgar will be offered at auction in Lichfield after it was found in an autograph book.
![David Bowie Starman demo tape](/media/40343/david-bowie-starman-tape-2384nedia-13-03-19.jpg?rxy=0.72046589018302831,0.51666666666666672&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=131969678350000000)
David Bowie demo tape for Starman sells for £41,000 at Merseyside auction
13 March 2019A tape thought to contain “possibly the first ever demo version” of David Bowie’s 1972 hit ‘Starman’ drew strong competition at Omega Auctions’ latest sale.
![img_20-1.jpg](/media/39534/img_20-1.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=131953885960000000)
Time recorders and machines of their time
25 February 2019Two single-owner collections built up over lifetimes were well received at Canterbury Auction Galleries (20% buyer’s premium) on February 5-6.
![music-guitar-indoor-still-life-musical-instrument-sheet-music-810680-pxhere.com.jpg](/media/38917/music-guitar-indoor-still-life-musical-instrument-sheet-music-810680-pxherecom.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=131941176390000000)
Petition launches for antique bows to be exempt from Ivory Act registration requirement
09 February 2019A London auctioneer of stringed instruments has launched an online petition to exempt bows from the Ivory Act registration requirement.
![Record](/media/38302/bowie-pic-record.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=131927138810000000)
Rediscovered Bowie songs come to auction in Merseyside
24 January 2019A copy of a previously unheard studio recording made by a young David Bowie comes up for sale at auction next week.
![img_9-2.jpg](/media/38263/img_9-2.jpg?rxy=0.28,0.53361945636623753&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=131925451790000000)
Export of harpsichord by Joseph Mahoon put on hold by minister
21 January 2019The owner of an 18th century double-manual harpsichord, the only one of its type known to exist, has been temporarily prevented from exporting it in the hope a UK buyer can be found.
![Harpsichord](/media/38008/harpsichord-export-bar.jpg?rxy=0.53666666666666663,0.4389763779527559&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=131919423200000000)
Government issues export bar for 18th century harpsichord in hope of finding UK buyer
15 January 2019The owner of an 18th century double-manual harpsichord, the only one of its type known to exist, has been temporarily prevented from exporting the instrument by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
![Gardiner Houlgate auctioneer Luke Hobbs](/media/36382/luke-hobbs-gardiner-houlgate-2370nedi-29-11-18.jpg?rxy=0.60399334442595676,0.20403587443946189&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=131878813580000000)
Shout, shout, clear it all out! Tears for Fears sell tour gear to make room
29 November 2018Specialist musical instrument auction house Gardiner Houlgate is to sell a cache of touring equipment from '80s band Tears for Fears.
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