Historic Dylan acoustic fetches $395,000 at auction

Bob Dylan playing the Martin in question with George Harrison at The Concert for Bangladesh in 1971

Bob Dylan playing the Martin in question with George Harrison at The Concert for Bangladesh in 1971 (Image credit: Bill Ray)

A guitar played by Bob Dylan from the late '60s to the mid-'70s – including at George Harrison's iconic Concert for Bangladesh in 1971 – fetched $395,000 at auction this weekend.

For that princely sum one lucky bidder secured Dylan's 1963 Martin D-28. According to Larry Cragg, who was the star's guitar repairman and bought the acoustic from the singer in 1977 when he switched from Martins to Gibsons, it saw active service from the late '60s, including in that high-profile slot at Harrison's groundbreaking fundraiser, and on the Rolling Thunder Revue tour, but remains in immaculate condition.

"It has the same bridge pins, everything is just like it was when he had it: same case and everything, just like it was 40 years ago," said Cragg. "It's kind of past being a guitar now. It's the kind of thing that you'd think that people would put in a glass case or in a museum somewhere."

Cragg bought the guitar for $500, and the receipt to prove it was also part of this particularly desirable lot.

In 2013, the Fender Stratocaster that Dylan played when he 'went electric' at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival sold for almost $1 million.

MusicRadar

MusicRadar is the number one website for music-makers of all kinds, be they guitarists, drummers, keyboard players, DJs or producers...

GEAR: We help musicians find the best gear with top-ranking gear round-ups and high-quality, authoritative reviews by a wide team of highly experienced experts. TIPS: We also provide tuition, from bite-sized tips to advanced work-outs and guidance from recognised musicians and stars. STARS: We talk to musicians and stars about their creative processes, and the nuts and bolts of their gear and technique. We give fans an insight into the craft of music-making that no other music website can.