FENDER STRAT - 'BROWNIE' 1956

Estimate $80,000-$100,000

LEE : "I'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE play hundreds of Strats over the years; new ones, old ones, guys bringing them to gigs, going in stores and checking them out. Some of them have been absolutely wonderful instruments and others have just been chunks of wood. But that one, for some reason, just had something. It was a feel thing for me; it was the best feeling and sounding Strat. But it was really just a spare for Blackie, because Eric always preferred the neck on Blackie.

"Of all the guitars in the sale, if I could choose one it would have to be this. And not because it's the Layla guitar, and not because it's going to be one of the most valuable, but because Brownie is so wonderful Strat. If I had that guitar as happy as the proverbial pig... or maybe the sunburst 335."

RICHARD : "IT'S A'56 AND HAS the serial number 12073. The lettering on the neck for whoever worked on it says XA16156 and the body's dated 6156 as well. It's had a bit of work done to it - the pickups have been replaced at some point and it has a five-way switch, but other than that it's in pretty much original condition. it's a very light, sensitive instrument with a lot of resonance. Eric seemed to have used this guitar an awful lot, perhaps even from 1969. We think it could be the very first Strat he ever bought. Eric tells the story of buying six or seven guitars and putting Blackie together and giving several away, but he's pretty positive that Brownie is not a composite guitar, which the internal dating would seem to verify. it was used on the whole of the 'Layla...' album and that's going to make it a very sought after guitar."

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