You can now bid on Pete Townshend’s smashed 1964 Fender Strat

(Image credit: Heritage Auctions)

The Who’s Pete Townshend was a pioneer of the art of the guitar smash, and accordingly, electrics wielded and destroyed by the man himself fetch a high price - and the latest to go up for auction is this smashed 1964 Fender Stratocaster.

The Sonic Blue-finished model was split in half by Townshend at a 1967 concert at Long Island Arena in Commack, New York, and comes with a handwritten statement from the guitarist detailing the events of that evening.

Heritage Auctions, which is listing the guitar, notes that previous Townshend smashers have gone for as much as $75k, while a 1964 Fender alone would go for more than $14,000 today.

Also up for auction is Townshend's surprisingly mint 1965 Gibson SG Special, with minor dings, a copper shielded control cavity and minor fret wear, including gigbag.

Bidding for the smashed Fender Strat is open now at Heritage Auctions, and ends on 15 April, while bids for the still-in-one-piece SG begin on 23 April til 12 May.

Mike is Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com, in addition to being an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict. He has a master's degree in journalism, and has spent the past decade writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as a decade-and-a-half performing in bands of variable genre (and quality). In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe.