LONDON.- More than 35 guitars and amplifiers from the collection of the late Irish rocker, Gary Moore, will be offered at Bonhams Entertainment memorabilia sale, taking place 29 June at Bonhams Knightsbridge. The event will host several different vintage guitars, their reissues, and modified versions. Tubes and other list of solid state amplifiers which were used by Dimebag Darrell and many others will also see audience.

The Belfast-born star is famed for gracing the lineup of the great British rock band Thin Lizzy, as well as Colosseum II, and (the original) Skid Row.

A popular artist, Moore’s talents extended across a breadth of musical styles, from mainstream hard rock for which he was most famous, to blues and jazz-rock, genres in which he produced several albums.

On hearing of Moore’s death in 2011, Bob Geldof commented that he was “without question one of the great Irish bluesmen. His playing was exceptional and beautiful. We won't see his like again.”

Stephen Maycock, Bonhams Entertainment Memorabilia consultant specialist, said: “Before his death, Gary Moore had amassed an incredible collection of instruments. Some 35 guitars, as well as a selection of vintage amplifiers, will be offered at auction for the first time in Bonhams Entertainment Memorabilia sale. As you’d expect from such a great musician, there’s a lot of interesting guitars in the collection, including several Gibson Les Paul models.”

Leading the collection is a 1963 Fender Stratocaster, estimated at £8,000-12,000. The guitar was a gift from the late Claude Nobs, founder of the Montreux Jazz Festival. It can be seen on live footage of the Fleadh festival in Finsbury Park, London in 2001, and the 'Blues for Jimi' DVD in late 2007.

Also featured in the collection is a Fritz Brothers ‘Roy Buchanan Bluemaster’ guitar, estimated at £2,500-3,500. Moore ordered the guitar after borrowing a similar instrument from George Harrison, who was his friend and neighbour in the Oxfordshire town of Henley-on-Thames. Moore used Harrison’s guitar when recording a track on the 1989 album, ‘After the War’, but later decided to purchase his own to use for live performances.

Further highlights from the Gary Moore collection include:

• Lot 172: A Warwick Thumb Bass guitar, 1987, estimated at £1,000-1,500

• Lot 179: A National Model 1104 Town and Country guitar, circa 1957, estimated at £1,200-1,500

• Lot 182: A Fender Twin amplifier, 1950s, estimated at £5,000-6,000

• Lot 187: A Gibson Les Paul '59 Standard Historic Reissue guitar, 2004, estimated at £2,500-3,000

• Lot 191: A Gibson Les Paul Standard Hot Rod 58 guitar, 2008, estimated at £2,000-3,000

• Lot 195: A Fender Vibroverb amplifier, 1964, estimated at £3,000-4,000

• Lot 210: A Gibson Firebird 1 guitar, 1964, estimated at £8,000-10,000

• Lot 215: A Gary Moore Tribute Model Les Paul Standard Initial Prototype, 2012, estimated at £2,500-3,000

• Lot 216: A Gibson Les Paul Standard VOS Collector's Choice No.1, 2011, estimated at £4,000-5,000