After B.B. King’s iconic “Lucille” guitar, and the guitar record auction set by Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, yet another estate is putting up a huge guitar collection for auction.
The seller is Becker’s Estate and his wife Julia, and the place and time are Julien’s Auctions on October 18 and 19, 20019. As Forbes, reports, on offer will be almost 1,100 guitars, amps, and other pieces of equipment, with the core of the auction being more than 600 of Becker’s guitars he had in his collection. The aggregate estimate of the collection is a whopping $2,000,000.
Becker started collecting guitars back in the Seventies and as his wife said, “It would be fair to say that Walter acquired his gear though every possible pathway that exists. Nitebob’s [ Becker’s man for guitar buying] role as “gear pimp” was central, as he plumbed his considerable contacts for things Walter might want to consider. He was always ‘on the chase’, and used any and all roads to run it on.”
According to auctioneer Darren Julian, some of the guitars on offer are expected to fetch more than $10,000 each – “Lots of famous rock stars have already registered, and there is a lot of European interest”, says Darren. “Some fly out to try guitars and then fly home.”
Becker’s wife Delia adds, “Walter was a connoisseur, not a collector. He had acquired almost everything guitar-wise that he ever wanted. Walter’s life and career were dedicated to searching for and aspiring to create the most perfect sound (for the context) possible, and this very auction collection contains the physical manifestations of that quest.”
