Jeff Beck's guitars and amps to go on sale in London

More than 130 electric guitars, amps, and other pieces of musical equipment belonging to English guitar legend Jeff Beck will go on sale in London next year, Christie's auctioneers said on Friday.

Often described as a "guitarist's guitarist," Beck rose to fame with The Yardbirds, went on to pursue a solo career, and was hailed as a great alongside the likes of Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page. He died last year at the age of 78.

The auction includes one of Beck's most recognizable instruments: the coffee-colored 1954 "Oxblood" Gibson Les Paul depicted on the cover of his 1975 instrumental album Blow By Blow. Christie's estimated its value at 350,000-500,000 pounds ($444,000-$634,000).

The "Tele-gib" - a guitar heard on the Stevie Wonder track "Cause We've Ended As Lovers" from the same album—will also go on sale. It is estimated to be worth 100,000-150,000 pounds.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - JANUARY 18, 2023: A staff member holds Gibson, Nashville, Tennessee, 2021, a solid-body electric guitar, Les Paul Standard ‘Gold Top’, estimate: £20,000-40,000 signed by Mark Knopfler, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, David Gilmour, Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, Slash, Ronnie Wood, Brian May, Sting, Ringo Starr, Bruce Springsteen, The Edge, Joan Jett, Nile Rodgers, as well as many others during a photocall at Christie's auction house showcasing the highlights from the personal collection of Mark Knopfler, frontman of the iconic British band, Dire Straits, in London, United Kingdom on January 18, 2023. Photo by WIktor Szymanowicz / NurPhoto / NurPhoto via AFP

"These guitars were his great love, and after almost two years of his death, it's time to part with them as Jeff wished," Beck's widow Sandra said. "Parting with them is a massive wrench, but Jeff wanted me to share this love."

"I hope the future guitarists who acquire these items can move closer to the genius who played them," she said.

Highlights from the auction will go on show in Los Angeles from December 4-6. The collection will be displayed at Christie's London headquarters from January 15 until the auction on January 22 next year.

"His magic lay in the balance between the fluidity and aggression of his playing and his technical brilliance, which could swing from furious attack one moment to sheer ethereal beauty in the next," Amelia Walker, Christie's Specialist Head of Private & Iconic Collections, London, said.

($1 = 0.7887 pounds)