A David Bowie owned and signed Takamine acoustic is going up for auction

A guitar owned and signed by David Bowie is going up for auction via Omega Auctions, expecting to fetch several thousand pounds.

The Takamine acoustic was a prize in a 2002 online charity auction, and has been put up for auction by the original winner. It’s also the second guitar received by the winner from this charity auction – the first was damaged in transit, and so the winner contacted Bowie’s management who supplied a new one.

While it’s not confirmed that this guitar was used on any records by Bowie, extensive scratches in its pickguard do suggest it was heavily played. The guitar is a 12-string, and also features a pickup and preamp system.

The guitar is expected to fetch between £5,000 and £7,000, with a current bid of £4,600. Bidding will conclude on 27 April.

The vendor has supplied the auction house with proof of his purchase from the charity auction. The guitar is signed alongside the inscription “Ground Control To Major Tom,” a line taken from the Bowie Song Space Oddity. Inspired by Stanley Kubrick’s film 2001: A Space Odyssey, the song became one of Bowie’s signature tracks. It was the opening song of his breakout 1969 self-titled album, and upon release became his first single to chart in the UK. It also received the 1970 Ivor Novello Special Award for Originality

You can see the lot at omegaauctions.co.uk.