• The sale also includes an Oasis guitar owned by Noel Gallagher, Maurice Gibb's Saturday Night Fever bass and Mike Rutherford of Genesis 12 string

London – One of the most celebrated English rock guitarists and influential musicians of all time, Jeff Beck (1944 - 2023) was deeply admired by both fans and fellow musicians alike. Throughout his illustrious career – which included cutting his teeth in the Yardbirds – Beck pushed the boundaries of what was possible with the instrument. An expression of his desire for innovation, an important graffiti yellow working prototype Fender Stratocaster guitar, made especially for Jeff Beck by Fender and used by Beck on tour 1986-1989, is amongst the highlights of Bonhams' Rock, Pop & Film sale on Wednesday 24 May in Knightsbridge, London. The guitar has an estimate of £60,000 - 80,000.

In February 1986 Jeff Beck, along with other celebrated musicians including Eric Clapton, Hank Marvin, David Gilmour and Gary Moore attended a presentation by Fender at the Hilton Hotel in London. The group were met by Fender associates Bill Shultz and Dan Smith and were presented with the idea of creating artist signature series guitars. Following the presentation Beck called Fender asking for a special guitar for his upcoming tour in Japan. His main requests were that it have a very large neck and that it be yellow, so as to match his replica 1932 Ford Hotrod Coupe car from the film 'American Graffiti'.

A handful of guitar bodies in Graffiti Yellow were made for Beck by a select group at Fender, which included the well-known George Blanda, but it was a '62 Reissue Stratocaster with an oversized neck that Beck chose. Fitted with an American Standard Tremolo, a 60's eleven-screw white scratchplate and 60's pickups, the guitar made its live debut with Beck on tour in Japan in August 1986. Over the next couple of years, Blanda and the team at the Fender Custom Shop (founded in 1987) continued to work with Beck to develop a signature guitar. Keeping the 1986 body, it was fitted with a new neck, a Wilkinson roller nut, a prototype two-point pivot tremolo, a 50's scratchplate and Sperzel Star tuners, as seen in rock photographer Robert M Knight's photo of Beck, Terry Bozzio and Tony Hymas taken at Prince's Paisley Park Studio in May 1989. Soon after this, the guitar also appeared on stage with Beck during his Japan tour in August of 1989. Following this tour, Beck decided against having a signature model and the project ended and the guitar was returned to Fender. However, in around 1990 it restarted again when the guitar was fitted with the latest Lace Sensors, making it become the prototype for the Fender Strat Plus model. Fender sent Beck the finished guitar and it is this combination that we have today.

The guitar remained with Beck until 1994 when he met flying instructor Suzy O'Hara at his 50th birthday party. She agreed to teach him how to fly, and in return Beck would teach Suzy how to play the guitar. It was at this time he gifted her the guitar, and it has remained in O'Hara's possession ever since.

Claire Tole-Moir, Head of Bonhams Popular Culture Department, commented: " This unique guitar, designed and built by the Fender Custom Shop in the late 1980s, is a testament to Beck's unwavering pursuit of perfection and innovation. For Beck to have kept the 1986 body through the years suggests that the shape, weight, sound and colour of the guitar were favoured by him. This working prototype signature Stratocaster guitar formed the foundation for the eventual Jeff Beck Signature model and the eventual Strat Plus model, acting as a milestone in both Beck's career and the history of the Fender Custom Shop. This guitar remains an important piece of guitar history and a testament to the enduring legacy of one of the world's most influential guitarists."

Other highlights of the sale include:

• An Oasis guitar owned by Noel Gallagher and used on the album 'Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants': A Gibson Les Paul Standard, 1982 in Red Wine finish. Estimate: £15,000 - 20,000. Owned by Noel in 1999 and used during his location recording session for the 'Standing On The Shoulders of Giants' album. The album recording began in France at Chateau de la Colle Noire, Montauroux. The guitar was purchased by a recording technician when the album was completed, who used to work at Abbey Road Studios and was known by the band. He was hired by Oasis to oversee the technical aspects of the recording at Chateau de la Colle Noire. However, it was not until the band continued recording at Wheeler End Studio in London, that Noel's guitar tech asked the vendor if he was interested in buying it directly from Noel. The guitar was too heavy for Noel to play on stage and so he decided to part with it. When the vendor arranged to collect the guitar at Olympic Studios in Barnes, Noel was there and signed the scratch plate for him.

• The 'Saturday Night Fever' Bee Gees' Rickenbacker 4001 bass guitar used to record the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. Owned and played by Maurice Gibb, signed by each member of The Bee Gees, 1970. Estimate: £10,000 - 15,000. The guitar was gifted to BBC Radio 1 producer and documentary presenter Stuart Grundy. In the accompanying letter, he states that he knew Maurice Gibb well, having worked with the band on numerous occasions. This included the 1987 series The Bee Gees which he wrote and produced discussing the band's lives and careers.
• Mick Rock (British, 1944-2021), David Bowie 1972-1973, A Rare Archival Box Set Of Twenty-One Photographs, June 2016. Estimate: £40,000 - 50,000.

• Jimi Hendrix Experience: A Rare Autographed Copy Of The Album 'Axis: Bold As Love', 1967. Estimate: £15,000 - 20,000.

• Led Zeppelin: An Autographed Copy Of The Album Led Zeppelin IV (Four Symbols), 1971. Estimate: £10,000 - £15,000.

• Mike Rutherford/Genesis: A Rickenbacker 360-12 guitar owned and used by Mike Rutherford,1974. Estimate: £10,000 - £15,000.

• The Yardbirds/Box Of Frogs: Jim McCarty's Personally Owned Gretsch Drum Kit, circa 1980. Estimate: £5,000 - £7,000.

4 May 2023