“An amazing piece of British blues history”: Robert Plant is selling his guitars for charity, including a ‘62 Stratocaster modded by legendary luthier John Birch
Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant is selling a selection of guitars from his personal collection, with all proceeds benefiting his favourite charities, including The Good Shepherd in Wolverhampton.
The sale, hosted by esteemed vintage dealer ATB Guitars in Cheltenham, features gear with serious history — that Plant himself had used “on various recordings and demos throughout the years.” And while a few standout items have already been snapped up, plenty of treasures remain.
READ MORE: The story of Jimmy Page’s Led Zeppelin Les Pauls: four guitars that shaped Led Zeppelin
Among those already sold is a 1990 Gibson Les Paul Standard, gifted to Plant by Les Paul himself backstage at Madison Square Garden during a Page/Plant show in 1995. Despite its £20k price tag, that guitar didn’t last long on the virtual shelves, which isn’t a surprise given both its origin and rock royalty ownership.
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But the centerpiece of the current lineup is still available: a stripped-back, heavily modded 1962 Fender Stratocaster once owned by Chicken Shack’s Stan Webb, a key figure of the British blues boom. Plant, a longtime fan of the band, reportedly bought the guitar directly from Webb in the 1970s.
The Strat’s original finish has been removed, exposing the natural wood grain of its alder body. It’s also been through the hands of legendary English luthier John Birch — whose customers included Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath, and Queen’s Brian May — and features a number of aftermarket mods that will bring a Strat purist to tears. They include Suhr Vintage ’60s pickups in the neck and bridge, swapped saddles in the tremolo, Schaller tuners, and even a second selector switch for expanded tonal options.
The guitar’s headstock has seen repairs, and its decal has been replaced, which might send vintage collectors into a cold sweat, but also speaks to the instrument’s well-traveled journey. Priced at £19,995, it’s not cheap, but it’s a rare opportunity to own a Strat with as much history as soul.
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That said, if your budget leans a bit lighter, the collection also includes a 1993 USA-made Dobro F-60 Resonator (£1,995), a guitar Plant used on his bluegrass projects both for writing and recording, and a 1917 Gibson A-1 Style mandolin (£2,495), which offers a slice of early Gibson craftsmanship complete with Kalamazoo pedigree.
Each instrument in the sale also comes with a signed certificate of authenticity from Plant himself.
Explore the full Robert Plant Collection now at ATB Guitars.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
