Robert Plant has listed a treasure trove of gear for sale to raise funds for charity, including a golden-era Stratocaster and a leftfield piece of Gibson history.
Cheltenham, UK-based guitar emporium ATB Guitars is handling the charity drive, with proceeds being donated to “charities close to Robert’s heart.”
Incredibly, four pieces, including a 1990 Les Paul Standard gifted to Plant by Les Paul himself while backstage at a Page/Plant show at Madison Square Garden in 1995, have already sold. But arguably the most storied instrument of the collection is still up for grabs.
Plant’s 1962 Fender Stratocaster is heralded by ATB as “a guitar with a wonderful history and no doubt many stories to tell”—and with good reason. Its finish has been stripped, revealing the alder body’s wood grain, and the guitar has seen plenty of action in the 63 years since it left the factory.
The singer bought the guitar from Stan Webb of ’60s blues band Chicken Shack in the 1970s. The pair first crossed paths during the early British blues boom in which the band enjoyed its heyday.
Led Zeppelin were said to be huge fans of the band, and so Plant is said to have jumped at the opportunity to own a Webb-played six-string and either Webb or Plant pulled the trigger on several modifications.
Most notably, it passed through the workshop of Tony Iommi-approved luthier John Birch. There, its fingerboard was lacquered, and, curiously, an extra pickup selector switch added for “more tonal options”.
Elsewhere, new saddles and Schaller tuners were installed, and two Suhr vintage V60LP single-coil pickups were placed in the bridge and neck positions. The middle pickup remains untouched—an original “black-bottomed” single-coil.
Unusually for a Stratocaster of that era, the headstock decal has been changed. It’s clear that Plant, Birch, and co. weren’t overly concerned with preserving historical accuracy during the guitar’s transformation.
The headstock has also been repaired, with a visible scar running through it and ending beneath the D-string tuning peg. ATB assures buyers the instrument is “totally stable,” and the damage is considered historic.
The guitar is available for £19,995 (approx. $26,650).
Other listings came at more modest price points, including a 1993 Dobro F-60 Resonator, which sold for £1,995 (approx. $2,650), and a 1992 Washburn M-1S/TS Mandolin, which fetched £495 (approx. $659) and was described as a “no-nonsense workhorse.”
A Gibson A-1 Style has also been sold. It was crafted in Gibson’s famous Kalamazoo, Michigan factory—now home to a Hard Rock Hotel—and features a design that became the precursor to Gibson’s iconic arch-top builds.
Visit ATB Guitars to see the full collection.
The sale follows the success of the band’s new documentary, which traces Led Zeppelin’s earliest days, including a “devastating” first jam session that gave no hint of the success to come.
In addition, lost footage of Led Zeppelin playing in Denmark in 1979 has resurfaced after sitting in a drawer for 45 years. It’s now been restored with original audio and gives fans a rare glimpse of the band just before their legendary Knebworth shows.
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