A piece of music history that connects the late guitar legend Jeff Beck with the house of sitar maestro Ravi Shankar fetched £1,00,800 at a Christie's auction in London on Wednesday.

The instrument in question is a white Fender Stratocaster, which Beck named Anoushka because it was signed by Ravi Shankar’s daughter Anoushka Shankar, a celebrated sitar player in her own right.

Anoushka, built around 1992-93, was Beck’s primary instrument for 16 years – used also at his 2012 performance at the White House alongside B.B. King and Mick Jagger in front of the Obamas.

Beck died on January 10, 2023 of meningitis at 78 in the middle of a tour featuring Hollywood star Johnny Depp. The least “famous” of the trio from Surrey – the other two being Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page – Beck was the ultimate guitarist’s guitar hero.

From Bon Jovi to Pavarotti, he played with a wide range of musicians in his lifetime. No ranking of guitar players worth its salt can leave two people out of its top 10. One is Beck, and the other is a certain Jimi Hendrix.

Christie’s sale of Beck’s tools of the trade welcomed registered bidders from 40 countries, who bid fiercely throughout, resulting in the 128 lot sale lasting almost seven hours.

Anoushka, the white Fender Stratocaster that was Jeff Beck's main guitar for 16 years, was so named because the sitar legend's daughter had signed it.

The sale was 100 per cent sold, Christie’s said, realising a total of £8,727,284, including buyer’s premium, which is more than eight times the pre-sale estimate.

The most expensive item sold in the auction was Beck’s iconic 1954 ‘Oxblood’ Gibson Les Paul, which doubled its pre-sale high estimate, selling for £1,068,500, after a bidding battle that lasted over 4 minutes (estimate: £350,000-500,000). This guitar is featured on the cover of Blow by Blow, Beck’s groundbreaking first solo album released in 1975 that was produced by George Martin, best known as the producer for The Beatles.

Three new world auction records were set in the Jeff Beck collection auction, Christie’s said: for a Gibson Les Paul (Oxblood); for a Jackson guitar when ‘Tina’ sold for over 36 times its pre-sale high estimate realising £441,000, after 7 intense minutes (estimate: £8,000-12,000); and for a pedalboard, which comprises the arrangement used on Jeff Beck’s last tour in 2022, sold for £126,000 (estimate: £3,000-5,000).

Tina was so named because the singer Tina Turner carved her signature on it with a knife and rubbed in nail varnish when Beck played for her on some songs.

The entire hammer price of the final four lots in the sale will benefit Folly Wildlife Rescue in Tunbridge Wells, a charity Beck supported, alongside his wife, Sandra Cash, and close friend Johnny Depp, who continue to act as patrons of the organisation.

“I am so happy that Jeff’s guitars have been so popular amongst his fans and friends,” Sandra said. “Thank you so much for your belief in Jeff’s legacy.”

Amelia Walker, Christie’s Specialist Head of Private & Iconic Collections, London said: “We are thrilled with the results of Jeff Beck’s incredible collection, which pay testament to the legacy of a genius – a globally-revered true rock legend. Passionate bidders competed for every lot in the sale, with each achieving many multiples of their pre-sale estimate.

She added: “The power of Jeff’s live performances and the emotional connection between him and his fans is perfectly exemplified by the exceptional result for ‘Anoushka’ his main performance white Stratocaster, which sparked a 9-minute bidding battle, achieving £1,008,000 – 50 times the pre-sale low estimate.”