Old-time guitar, previously given away by legendary rock star Jimmy Page, could rake in an impressive $67,000 at upcoming auction following a triumphant magazine competition half a century ago
In 1966, legendary guitarist Jimmy Page gave away a 1957 Gretsch Chet Atkins 6120 electric guitar as a competition prize. Over five decades later, the same guitar is set to go under the hammer at the Gardiner Houlgate auction house on September 9.
The guitar, which was originally purchased by Page in Nashville for £200 in 1972, is expected to sell for anywhere between £30,000 and £50,000. This estimate is based on the sale price of a similar guitar that fetched approximately £50,000 at auction in 2021.
The competition, which was first featured in an interview with the New Musical Express magazine, saw Charles Reid of Hornsey, North London, emerge as the winner. Reid correctly matched six guitars with the famous guitar players who owned them. Reid kept the guitar until September 1990, after which he sold it to Phil O'Donoghue for £2,000.
O'Donoghue, a guitarist in a '70s band called Wild Angels, is now selling the guitar through Gardiner Houlgate. The guitar is attracting interest from collectors, investors, and fans of Led Zeppelin, the band Page is most famous for.
A photo exists of Page giving the guitar to Reid, capturing a moment in rock history. Copies of the New Musical Express magazine featuring the competition for the guitar are also available for those interested in delving deeper into the story.
Recently, Page announced the Sundragon Nymph, a boutique, Page-co-founded brand's smallest-footprint, low-wattage combo. However, it seems that the focus for collectors and fans alike is still very much on this iconic 1957 Gretsch Chet Atkins 6120 electric guitar.
[1] Source: Gardiner Houlgate auction house [5] Source: Classic Rock magazine, 2021
- Jimmy Page, once the proud owner of a 1957 Gretsch Chet Atkins 6120 electric guitar, is set to see it go under the hammer at the Gardiner Houlgate auction house on September 9.
- The iconic 1957 Gretsch Chet Atkins 6120 electric guitar, previously owned by Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, is expected to sell for anywhere between £30,000 and £50,000.
- Interest in the famous 1957 Gretsch Chet Atkins 6120 electric guitar, which was part of a competition won by Charles Reid in 1966, is growing among collectors, investors, and fans of music and entertainment.
- Phil O'Donoghue, a former guitarist in the '70s band Wild Angels, is currently selling the 1957 Gretsch Chet Atkins 6120 electric guitar, a guitar that was once owned by legendary guitarist Jimmy Page, through Gardiner Houlgate.
