A Guitar Gifted by Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page Over 50 Years Ago Could Fetch £50,000 at Auction

via The Black Crowes / Youtube
A Special Guitar From 1972
A guitar that Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page gave away more than 50 years ago might sell for as much as £50,000 in an upcoming auction. The guitar, a 1957 Gretsch Chet Atkins 6120 electric model, was once featured in New Musical Express (NME) magazine. In a memorable photo, Page posed with the guitar, holding it like a cricket bat while dressed in cricket whites for the magazine’s cover.
The guitar was originally won through a competition held by NME. It now belongs to the family of Phil O’Donoghue, a guitarist from Chessington, who passed away earlier this year. The sale includes a photo of Page handing the guitar to the contest winner, Charles Reid.

Why Page Gave It Away
Auctioneer Luke Hobbs, who will oversee the sale, believes the guitar could bring in even more than expected. “The sky is the limit,” he said. Mr. Reid, who won the competition back in the 1970s, once said he couldn’t understand why Page would part with “such a terrific guitar as this.” He added, “It’s the kind of instrument that every guitar player dreams of owning but can never really afford.”
In the NME interview at the time, Jimmy Page explained that he bought the guitar for £200 during a trip to Nashville, USA, in 1972. Contestants in the magazine competition had to correctly match six guitars with their famous owners. Mr. Reid, from Hornsey in north London, submitted the winning entry and received the guitar directly from Page.

The Guitar’s Journey After the Contest
Charles Reid held on to the guitar until 1990. That September, he sold it for £2,000 to Phil O’Donoghue, who had been the guitarist for the 1970s rock group Wild Angels. O’Donoghue kept the guitar for more than three decades until he died earlier this year. His family is now putting it up for auction.
Luke Hobbs said, “It’s no exaggeration to say that Jimmy Page is a legendary guitarist and rock star.” He also noted that the guitar’s true background only became fully known after Mr. O’Donoghue’s passing. “The family are understandably quite excited to find out how much it is worth,” Hobbs said. “They grew up around it, but its full provenance only came to light after Mr. O’Donoghue passed away.”
Expected Price at Auction
The guitar will be auctioned at Gardiner Houlgate in Corsham, Wiltshire, on September 9. It’s expected to sell for between £30,000 and £50,000. However, due to the guitar’s history and connection to Jimmy Page, experts believe it could fetch even more.