- The Hagstrom Viking II cherry red played by Elvis during the 1968 Comeback Special is going up for auction at Sotheby’s.
- It is estimated at between $1 and $2 million, with bidding open from April 9 to 23, 2026.
- Elvis had never intended to play this guitar: it belonged to session guitarist Al Casey.
- This sale comes just weeks after David Gilmour’s Black Strat sold for $14.55 million.
Even though I’ve seen dozens of legendary guitars come through, some pieces still give me chills. When I learned that Elvis’s Hagstrom—yes, that one from the Comeback Special—was heading to Sotheby’s, there was no way I could not talk about it. Behind this cherry red semi-hollow lies one of rock ’n’ roll’s greatest stories: that of a fallen king reclaiming his throne in black leather, guitar in hand.
Sotheby’s launches its Rock & Pop sale with the King
Sotheby’s New York is launching its very first Rock & Pop sale. The centerpiece? Elvis Presley’s Hagstrom Viking II cherry red, the star of this online auction open from April 9 to 23, 2026.
The estimate? Between $1 and $2 million, a range that could easily be surpassed. The guitar will be displayed at Sotheby’s Breuer Building in New York from April 13 to 20.
The Viking II will not be the only one in the spotlight, either. It will appear alongside Noel Gallagher’s signed Epiphone EJ-200, used while writing (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? and estimated at $60,000 to $80,000, as well as an acoustic guitar belonging to Bruce Springsteen connected to Born to Run and handwritten lyrics by David Bowie.
The Hagstrom Viking II is a Swedish-made semi-hollow guitar. Its construction delivers a sound somewhere between acoustic warmth and electric power, ideal for rock, blues, and rockabilly.
How Elvis borrowed the guitar that changed his career
It’s a great story. Originally, Elvis had brought his own guitar for the filming of the Comeback Special, broadcast on NBC on December 3, 1968. The problem: it did not look good on screen against the set’s red-and-black backdrop.
Director Steve Binder and producer Bones Howe then asked session guitarist Al Casey to lend his Hagstrom Viking II cherry red. The result? One of rock’s most memorable images: Elvis in a black leather suit, this fiery guitar in his hands, performing Trouble, Blue Suede Shoes, and Guitar Man.
The craziest part is that Elvis never played this guitar again after the special. It also appears on the cover of the album From Elvis in Memphis (1969). Since then, the instrument has passed through several private collections and was displayed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame between 1998 and 2000.
The Comeback Special: the King’s resurrection
To understand this guitar’s value, you have to look at the context. In 1968, after making Hollywood movies for nearly seven years, Elvis had stepped away from the stage. His artistic credibility had taken a hit.
His manager, Colonel Tom Parker, had initially planned a simple Christmas special. But Elvis refused to go in that direction. The result was a fiery, electric comeback that reminded the world why he was called the King.
The special reignited everything: a residency at the International Hotel in Las Vegas, followed by hits such as Suspicious Minds and The Wonder of You.
The original Hagstrom Viking II was produced only between 1967 and 1974, making it a rare model on the vintage market. Today, Hagstrom offers modern reissues with H-52 mini-humbucker pickups and a Canadian maple neck. Sixties vibe without the price of a relic.
A red-hot market for collectible guitars
This Sotheby’s sale comes at a time when the market for collectible guitars is reaching new heights. In March, the sale of the Jim Irsay Collection at Christie’s shattered every record:
- David Gilmour’s Black Strat (Pink Floyd): $14.55 million
- Jerry Garcia’s Tiger (Grateful Dead): $11.56 million
- Kurt Cobain’s Fender Mustang (Smells Like Teen Spirit): $6.9 million
In total, that single evening at Christie’s generated more than $84 million. In this context, the $1 to $2 million estimate for Elvis’s Hagstrom seems almost modest. The Black Strat, initially estimated at between $2 and $4 million, brought in more than triple that amount.
One guitar, one moment, one legend
What makes this Hagstrom Viking II so special is not just its rarity. It is the moment it embodies. Hollywood had trapped Elvis in formulaic roles, while the British Invasion had reshaped the musical landscape. The Comeback Special was his answer: raw, visceral, electric.
And this borrowed guitar, cherry red against a backdrop of black leather, became the visual symbol of that rebirth. In 2021, it sold for $625,000 at a previous auction. With the market’s recent explosion, all bets are off for this new sale.
Sources
- Rolling Stone – Elvis Presley’s 1968 Comeback Special Guitar Headed to Auction
- American Songwriter – An Important Piece of Elvis Presley Lore Is Headed to Auction
- Audacy / WBBM Newsradio – Elvis Presley and Noel Gallagher’s Guitars Are Up for Auction
- ArtDependence – Elvis Presley & Noel Gallagher’s Legendary Guitars Headline Sotheby’s Rock & Pop Sale
- Guitar World – Jim Irsay Collection: Guitar Auction Final Results
