An anonymous buyer has purchased Roy Rogers' famous OM-45 Deluxe Martin guitar for $460,000.
The 1930-built Martin is considered one of the rarest and most coveted acoustic guitars in the world. The Martin was auctioned by The Roy Rogers-Dale Evans Museum in Branson, Missouri.
It was originally purchased, used, for just $30 at a California pawn shop in 1933 by a young and unknown musician, Leonard Franklin Slye - who went on to adopt the persona of Roy Rogers.
The guitar was the first OM-45 Deluxe model guitar Martin produced in 1930 - #1 of only 15 in total - but Slye was unlikely to have been aware of the model's significance. The OM-45 Deluxe became synonymous with Rogers' stage and film persona, before he retired it in the mid-1940s.
In 2006, Martin honoured Roy Rogers with a replica signature edition of his famous guitar.
“I just took it out and I could see all the flame coming out on the side of it and I went, ‘Oh my goodness gracious.’ It’s just so beautiful”: Gibson unveils stunning $19,999 replica of Jimmy Page’s 1964 SJ-200 acoustic
“It’s not just about louder sound – it’s about achieving a more responsive, resonant instrument that truly comes to life in your hands”: Furch unveils the Booster Soundport, a player-facing “resonator” to transform acoustic performance
