Clapton guitar auction exceeds expectations

Even without his nimble fingers touching their strings, Eric Clapton's guitars rocked New York City on Wednesday,9th March 2011 as an auction of them brought in millions of dollars.

An auction of more than 70 of Eric Clapton's prized guitars has raised $2.15m (£1.34m) for charity.Several of the musician's signature instruments fared better than expected during Bonhams New York's public sale on Wednesday, 9th march 2011.

Among the items sold was a 1948 Gibson L-5P guitar, which far surpassed the $20,000 pre-auction estimate by fetching $83,000 (£52,000).Additionally, a customized 'Eric Clapton' signature Fender Stratocaster brought in $51,000 (£32,000).

Proceeds from the sales are to be donated to Antigua's Crossroads Centre, which Clapton founded in 1998 to aid those struggling with drug and alcohol dependency.

Clapton, 65, is widely regarded as one of the best guitarists of all time. In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine named him fourth on their list of the 100 best guitarists in music history.
The rocker has received numerous accolades over the course of his lengthy career, including three separate Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions and a Grammy 'Lifetime Achievement Award'.