The classical guitar marks the instrument in its purest form. Yet these guitars, first standardised by Antonio de Torres in the 19th century, are far from the most valuable instrument.
Virtually every other type of guitar, whether electric or steel-string acoustic, has been sold for more at auction. Perhaps it’s no surprise. Music is about emotion more than history.
Kurt Cobain’s vintage Martin D-18E, which he played on MTV Unplugged in 1993, holds the record for any guitar after selling for $6 million in June 2020. Several other guitars played by recent artists have broken the million dollar mark.
But when it comes to historical instruments, the figures don’t even come close. In fact, even paintings and charcoal sketches of classical guitars by masters have sold for many times more than the guitars themselves.
Guitars from the 19th century weren’t treated with the same respect as instruments such as violins until recently. One guitar made by Antonio de Torres – perhaps the most important luthier of all time – was abandoned under a bed for a quarter of a century. The owner only realised its worth after reading José L. Romanillos’ seminal book about Torres, first published in 1987.
Unfortunately many historical instruments remain damaged and beyond repair.
The list below contains publicly disclosed prices for classical guitars. There is no doubt that classical guitars have exchanged hands privately for more. This list also doesn’t include list prices or estimates.
For example, Torres’ No. 124, built in 1888, was listed for $US275,000 by the Bruné luthiers as recently as December 2019. Segovia’s 1937 Hauser, which he played from 1938 until 1962 and called “the best guitar in the world”, if ever sold would easily surpass the realised prices here. The guitar can be seen on display at The Met in New York.
However, it remains surprising that since I first created this list in 2021, there hasn’t been a single new entry. The value and demand for guitars has only increased since then. Yet, the last classical guitar auction to crack $100,000 was in 2019, and that was largely because Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour owned the guitar. Perhaps many higher-priced collectible classical guitars are exchanging hands privately.
Hermann Hauser I (1948): $179,999
This Hauser guitar sold at auction in May 2006 for around triple the estimated $US50,000-$US60,000 it was expected to attract.
German luthier Hermann Hauser (1882-1952) built this guitar 11 years after building the model that was finally up to Segovia’s standards. The top is spruce while the back and sides are rosewood. The label on this guitar was inscribed M. P. in Hauser’s handwriting, an abbreviation for “manu propria”, meaning the guitar was built exclusively “by my own hand” without his assistants.
Today students at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) can play the guitar after John Harris donated his collection of about 40 historical instruments, including this Hauser, to the school in late-2020.
Antonio de Torres (1888, SE 122): $167,536.02
This guitar by the great Antonio de Torres was sold at auction for $167,536 in October 2014, at the lower end of the estimated $147,825-$229,951 it was expected to sell for.
You can hear Luigi Attademo playing the guitar with gut strings in the video below. A better recorded version can be found on Spotify.
The soundboard of this Torres was built from three pieces of spruce and the fan bracing has seven struts.
Antonio de Torres (1864, FE 17): $157,000
This Antonio de Torres model sold for $157,000, well above its pre-auction estimate of $100,000-$150,000, in October 2007.
Torres built this guitar for his own personal use but after hearing the young virtuoso Francesco Tárrega (1852-1909) play, offered him FE 17 in 1869. The guitar apparently still bears cigarette burns from Tárrega’s habit of smoking while he played.
The guitar top is made from European spruce, while the back and sides are made from European curly maple. Like many of Torres’ early guitars, it had a tornavoz to help project the sound and accentuate the bass. The video above shows some of the guitar’s finer detail that luthier Dominik Wurth incorporated into a replica.
Hermann Hauser I (1940 and 1939) : $152,500 and $134,500
Hauser holds the next two spots on the list with guitars (built in 1940 and 1939) that sold for $152,500 in October 2011 and $134,000 in April 2009.
The instrument built in 1939 was another for Segovia following the success of his 1937 classic. The soundboard has a special inscription similar to that also found on the 1931 and 1937 models: fait pour Monsieur Andres Segovia Montevideo.
It appears that this instrument now resides in the Guitar Salon International Museum.
Robert Bouchet (1964): $122,500
This Robert Bouchet guitar – once owned by artist Julian Bream – was sold for $122,500 in October 2009, well above the expected $40,000-$50,000.
The sale prompted Kerry Keane, the head of musical instruments at auction house Christie’s, to say: “The world record price for a guitar by Robert Bouchet demonstrates the importance of his work among the classical guitar community, rivaling works of Hermann Hauser I.”
Bouchet (1898-1986) was a painter and took up guitar making later in life, building only 154 instruments. His style, which was highly influenced by Torres, set the foundation for the French school of guitar making.
José María Vilaplana, Muro Del Alcoy (1979): $100,000
There’s a reason this classical guitar is the most recently constructed on this list yet sold for an impressive $100,000 at auction in June 2019: it was owned by Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour. It was expected to sell for just $2,500-$3,500, but many of Gilmour’s guitars sold for record prices at the auction.
Gilmour bought the instrument in March 1982 and used it regularly in the studio as his primary classical guitar. It can be heard on High Hopes, the closing track on Pink Floyd’s 1994 album The Division Bell.
Hermann Hauser I: $98,500 and $93,210
Hauser again holds the next two spots on this list of most expensive guitars with a guitar built in 1949 selling for $98,500 in November 2012 and a guitar built in 1936 selling for $93,200 in April 2003.
Antonio de Torres (1864, FE21): $86,500
Another guitar by Antonio de Torres was sold at auction in 2009 within its expected price range of $70,000-$90,000. The guitar label says 1852 but 64 is written over it in ink. The guitar was exhibited at a November 1992 event in Almeria, Spain, to celebrate Torres’ life, according to José L. Romanillos’ book, Antonio de Torres, Guitar Maker – His Life & Work. He wrote: “It is interesting that this guitar is purported to be made in Almeria at a time when Torres was resident in Sevilla. There is no doubt that this is an original Torres guitar.”
Luthier R. E. Bruné also wrote about this guitar in the April 2009 edition of Vintage Guitar but unfortunately I’ve been unable to track down a copy.
Ignacio Fleta (1961, No 235): $74,400
This Fleta, once owned by artist John Williams, sold for an impressive $74,000 in April 2005. This was Williams’ main guitar during the 1960s and can heard on most of his recordings during this period, which no doubt pushed the price to this level. Fleta (1897-1977) instruments are known for their strong sound, which is well suited to the concert hall.
Hermann Hauser I (1928): $73,000
Incredibly, another Hauser finds its way onto this list, with this model selling for $73,000 in April 2008. It’s unclear if the 1928 Hauser held by Guitar Salon Internal Museum is the same instrument, but that particular guitar is valued at $120,000 today.
