Duane Allman’s old guitar, with which he had performed with Eric Clapton, the hit song “Layla,” was recently sold in an auction, for $1.25 million. This has left everyone baffled.
The gold-topped guitar till it was auctioned was kept on display at the Allman Brothers Band Museum at The Big House in Macon, Georgia. The museum director, Richard Brent, who was also as surprised at the unexpected auction price, shared how the amount reflects the history of the guitar, the history of the band, its music and the performances.
The new owner of the guitar is an out-of-town collector who wants to be anonymous, according to Brent. The anonymous buyer has agreed to lend the instrument to the museum at certain times. It is supposed to be displayed again in the museum, in late November, this year itself.
The “Layla” guitar, as it was famously called, is due to the fact, that it recorded with Derek and the Dominoes, was one of the last times that Allman played the guitar.
Duane Allman was a famous American guitarist and the founder and leader of the Allman Brothers Band. He is remembered in music for his influential tenure in the band and his expressive slide guitar along with creative improvisational skills. In 2003, he was second only to Jimi Hendrix, in the Rolling Stone list of 100 greatest guitarists of all time.
To listen to the songs of the Allman Brothers, and the skills of Duane Allman, check out their song playlist on Spotify.