U2's The Edge has sold his favourite guitar at a charity auction for New Orleans musicians devastated by Hurricane Katrina.
The Gibson Les Paul had been used on every U2 tour since 1985, and was purchased for $240,000 by an anonymous buyer. A pair of Bono's sunglasses fetched $20,000 during the auction which took place at New York's Hard Rock Caf??.Other U2 memorabilia that went under the hammer included Bono's autographed Falcon Gretsch guitar, which reached $180,000, Adam Clayton's Fender Jazz Bass ($22,000) and a tom drum belonging to Larry Mullen ($19,000).
The Edge also parted with a 1958 Gibson Archtop ($105,000) and one of his signature knitted hats, which reached $11,000.
The auction represented the largest selection of U2 memorabilia ever made available to collectors. It was an initiative of the Music Rising charity, co-founded by The Edge to help New Orleans musicians regain their livelihoods.
The auction raised $2.4 million in total, with other items including Jimi Hendrix's 1966 red Fender Mustang ($400,000), a saxophone belonging to Bill Clinton ($54,000) and a pair of round, blue-tinted sunglasses which once belonged to John Lennon ($30,000).
