Most Expensive Musical Instruments of All Time

Music is considered the most expressive way of art to show someone’s emotions and heartfelt sentiments. With all of the numerous genres, music has something for everyone. Some amazing musicians have made the world a better place to live with their music. The music they made may be the real cause of their fame but their instruments also play a part in their success which nobody can deny. These are 10 most expensive musical instruments of all time.

Whatever your interest in life is, there will always be a costly method to indulge in it. For people who like music, high-end instruments may sometimes cost millions if not tens of thousands of dollars for professional-level instruments. Here, we’ve prepared a list of some of the most pricey instruments in the world, as well as some of the causes that contributed to their high cost!

The Most Famous Musical Instruments Ever sold

Here is the list of top 10 most expensive musical instruments of all time.

MacDonald Stradivarius Viola – $45,000,000

With an estimated worth of millions, the MacDonald Stradivarius Viola is one of the most costly instruments in the world. It is one of just ten Stradivarius violas still in existence and is regarded as one of the best-sounding violas in the world. The Viola is constructed of maple and spruce, and it is carefully carved. Its rich, warm tone is ideal for playing classical music. The Viola is named after one of its 19th-century owners, and it was played by the eminent Amadeus Quartet co-founder Peter Schidlof until his death in 1987. In 2014, the Viola was put up for auction with a minimum bid of a million, but it failed to sell. However, the viola is still out there for sale. It is considered “The most Expensive Musical Piece ” ever created.

Duport Stradivarius Cello – $20,000,000

The 1711 Stradivari-crafted cello, named after its one-time owner, 19th-century cellist Jean-Louis Duport, was purchased in 2008 for a cool million by the Nippon Music Foundation, who are inexhaustible Strad collectors, despite its visible dent, rumored to be caused by Napoleon Bonaparte’s boots when Duport allowed Bonaparte to handle the infamous cello. The cello is not in the greatest condition as it has a visible dent in the wood that was thought to have been made by Napoleon when he tried it in 1812. However, the fact that the cello was made by Stradivarius, and it is only one of a handful left in the world, makes this instrument one of the most expensive ever to be sold. Read more about the world most expensive pianos in the world.

Guiseppe Guarneri Vieuxtemps Violin – $16,000,000

The Vieuxtemps Guarneri Violin is one of the most expensive violins in the world, selling for millions in 2012. It was crafted in 1741 by renowned Italian artisan Giuseppe Guarneri and has been played by world-famous violinists including Yehudi Menuhin, Itzhak Perlman, and Pinchas Zukerman. The violin is flawless, with no cracks, repairs, or patches. This is evidence of Guarneri’s excellent craftsmanship and the attention given to the violin all over the decades. The instrument, made in 1741 by famed Italian craftsman Guiseppe Guarneri, has been used by Yehudi Menuhin, Itzhak Perlman, and Pinchas Zukerman. The Vieuxtemps’ current mysterious owner, who paid millions for the violin in 2012, has given it to top-selling classical musician Anne Akiko Meyers for life. Read more about the most valuable and exclusively rarest gemstones in the world.

The ‘Lady Blunt’ Stradivari (1712) – $15,900,000 

The Lady Blunt is one of only two best-preserved Stradivari-built violins in existence. The Lady Blunt Stradivarius is a violin made by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari in 1712. It is one of the most expensive violins in the world, and the Nippon Music Foundation is the recent owner of this work of art. The violin was named for Anne Blunt, who had it in the nineteenth century. Blunt was a British poet and traveler most famous for her Arabic poetry translations. It was auctioned off to benefit humanitarian relief efforts following the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. The online auction raised .9 million, approximately five times the previous Stradivarius record holder. It is said to be the best-preserved Strad offered for sale in the last century. Read more about the top most expensive commercials in the world that ever made.

The Lausanne Cathedral Pipe Organ $4,500,000

The Lausanne Cathedral Pipe Organ (pictured), which officially opened in December 2003 and cost 6 million Swiss Francs (about £5 million), is one of the most elegant and unique instruments of its kind in the world. For one thing, it is the first organ to be developed by a designer, a ten-year process. Furthermore, it is the first organ to have all four major organ styles (classical, French symphonic, baroque, and German romantique), giving it remarkable diversity.

The Lausanne Cathedral Pipe Organ is a pipe organ located in the Lausanne Cathedral in Lausanne, Switzerland. It has over 7,000 pipes and is considered as the most complex Organ ever created. The Lausanne Cathedral Pipe Organ was built by the Swiss organ builder Orgelbau Kuhn in 2003. The organ has five manuals and 115 stops, and it can be played by a single organist or by a full orchestra. Read more the most expensive music video in the world.

The Hammer Stradivarius Violin 3.54 M

The Hammer Stradivarius Violin is a violin made by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari during Stradivarius’ famous ‘golden age’ in 1707. It is one of the most expensive violins in the world, and it is currently owned by some unknown buyer. The violin is named after Christian Hammer, a 19th-century Swedish collector who is its first recorded owner. The violin made its way to the United States in 1911 with violinist and teacher Bernard Sinsheimer. In 1992, it was acquired by a Japanese oil company in an estate sale. The Hammer also broke the Lady Tennant Strad record in 2006, selling to an unknown bidder for a jaw-dropping .54 million after only 5 minutes of bidding.

Casablanca ‘As Time Goes By’ Piano 3.4 M

The Casablanca ‘As Time Goes By’ Piano is a Steinway Model M piano that was used in the 1942 film Casablanca. It is currently owned by the Warner Bros. Museum. Casablanca’s piano The piano is well known for its appearance in the film Casablanca. In the movie, it was played by Sam (Dooley Wilson) when Ingrid Bergman says, “Play it, Sam, play ‘As Time Goes By.” The piano has a striking Moroccan gold and green motif. It is not known what the piano sounds like, as it was never actually played in the movie.

The music was played by an offstage pianist while Dooley Wilson acted out his part. The Casablanca ‘As Time Goes By’ Piano is a work of art, and it is also a very valuable instrument. It is the most expensive piano ever sold at auction in 2014 for .4 million. It is a wooden upright piano with only 55 keys. 

John Lennon’s Steinway Z Piano 2.1 M

In addition to the famed white grand Steinway, John Lennon, and Yoko Ono had a 1970 Steinway Model Z upright, which he used to create and record Imagine in 1971. There are only a few Steinway Model Z pianos in existence, and this one is particularly special because it was owned by John Lennon. George Michael paid 1 million for the worn-out instrument, at auction in October 2000. Michael took the piano on tour to places where there had been horrible tragedies, reflecting the tone of Imagine’s lyrics. It’s ironic considering the piano was in poor condition when it was sold for 1 million in 2000. It is believed to contain cigarette burn scars, wood chips, and strings that needed to be replaced. Regardless, the fact that it was played by such a famous songwriter increased its value by millions of dollars.

The Fender Stratocaster Guitar: Blackie- 2.7 M

This is an unusual guitar in that it was not owned by a renowned artist or featured on any notable recordings. However, it was signed by an impressive who’s who of artists, including Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, David Gilmour, Pete Townshend, and Jeff Beck. Blackie is a black Stratocaster guitar that was assembled by Eric Clapton from three different Stratocasters in the late 1950s. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City now has one of the most legendary and priceless guitars in the world. Blackie stands out by its rich, warm tone and eye-catching black finish.

Many of Clapton’s most renowned albums use Blackie, including “Layla,” “I Feel Free,” and “Crossroads.” It was acquired for $2.7 million at auction in 2005 by the organization Reach Out To Asia, which was created to give help and support to the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, which killed over 200,000 people.

Lady of Tennant-Lafont Stradivarius Violin- 2.03 M

Stradivari is likely the most well-known name in string instruments, best known for his incredibly rare and costly violins. From 1680 until 1730, Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari created instruments. The Lady of Tennant-Lafont Stradivarius was created in 1699, the year before Stradivari’s ‘golden age.’  The violin is named after two of its previous owners: Marguerite Agaranthe Miles Tennant and Charles Philippe Lafont.

Tennant was a British philanthropist and amateur violinist, and Lafont was a French violinist and composer. The Lady Tennant was given to a Scottish millionaire’s wife who was an amateur violinist before being auctioned off at Christie’s for a record-breaking $2.03 million in April 2005 and then agreed to lease to a number of today’s violin superstars.

Summary

Here is a brief overview of the aforementioned list of the most expensive yet priceless musical items of all time for your better understanding and ease.