You may not be able to play guitar like Eric Clapton or George Harrison, but now you can own one of their former six strings.
An ultra-rare 1913 Gibson Style O Acoustic Archtop once played by the two virtuosos is now up for grabs via Reverb, an online marketplace for new and used musical instruments and other goods. The instrument, nicknamed Pattie, can be yours for a cool $949,999.
Of course, the guitar has quite the musical history. Clapton, who actually owned the instrument, and Harrison can be seen with the axe in a private songwriting session back in October 1968. (You can also catch a glimpse of the guitar in Life In 12 Bars, a documentary about Clapton’s life and career.) In the image, the Beatle is playing Pattie while the duo is bringing “Badge,” their first co-written composition, to life; it’s the only known image of the two working on the song. “Badge” went on to be recorded that week at Hollywood’s Heider Studios for Cream’s Goodbye, the group’s fourth and final album.
Thanks to that songwriting session, Pattie also has ties to one of the Beatles’ most popular hits. Inspired by the bridge on “Badge,” Harrison used similar compositional elements to create “Here Comes the Sun,” which was released in 1969, according to Reverb.
From there, the guitar landed in the hands of American singer and songwriter Delaney Bramlett in 1970. After his passing in 2008, his estate sold the collector’s item via Julien’s Auctions. Now, though, it’s part of the Victor Archives in Camden, New Jersey—until one lucky musician snaps it up, that is.
Plenty of instruments from these two music legends have popped u at auction over the years. Clapton’s 1974 000-28 Martin acoustic, which he used to composed “Wonderful Tonight,” was up for auction last May. Harrison’s Futurama guitar that he favored during the formative years of the Beatles, meanwhile, was up for grabs via Julien’s Auctions this past fall. That piece of music history hammered down for $1.27 million—so the $949,999 sticker price for the Gibson is looking pretty good.
