Even Duane Allmans fans were surprised after a recent auction set in Macon, Georgia was concluded. One of the late musician’s old guitars was sold for no less than $1.25 million.
The guitar in question is a gold-topped one that Allman played while performing “Layla” alongside Eric Clapton. The guitar was named Layla and was on display in The Big House in Macon in a section dedicated to the Allman Brothers Band.
Fans of Allman don’t need to be worried, though. The buyer, an anonymous guitar collector, has agreed to share the guitar with the museum, and it will remain on display for the public at certain times.
“It will be coming back to The Big House in late November,” said museum director Richard Brent. “We couldn’t ask for more than that.”
Brent has also stated that the sale price was unexpected. “The history of it is what sold it.”
The famous hit was one of the final recordings of Allman using this guitar. He replaced it with a 1959 Les Paul not long after. The guitar was restored and put in the museum following the singer’s death and was actually used from time to time by guitarists, such as Metallica’s Kirk Hamett and ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons.
