The legendary guitar belonging to Pink Floyd frontman David Gilmour has sold for $5.7 million at auction to become the most expensive guitar of all time.

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Gilmour raised over $30 million for charity after auctioning off more than 120 lots from his personal collection.

The record-breaking sale took place at Christie's auction house in New York City, on Thursday and included iconic instruments played by Gilmour throughout Pink Floyd's history.

The musician's legendary "Black Strat" Fender Stratocaster guitar — used on the recording of the band's hit albums, The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), Wish You Were Here (1975), Animals (1977) and The Wall (1979) — was the standout lot, selling for $US3,975,000, which is a new world record for a guitar at auction.

Other highlights included Gilmour's Martin D-35 acoustic guitar, which sold for more than $1 million, and his 1955 Gibson Les Paul, famously used for the guitar solo on Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2).

The latter also wildly exceeded its $40,000-70,000 estimated auction price, selling for over $580,000.

Proceeds of the auction will go to the charity ClientEarth, which funds environmental lawyers and experts in the fight against climate change.

"The global climate crisis is the greatest challenge that humanity will ever face, and we are within a few years of the effects of global warming being irreversible," Gilmour said in a statement.

"We need a civilised world that goes on for all our grandchildren and beyond in which these guitars can be played and songs can be sung."

The top five most expensive guitars of all time (via Guitar Player)

1. David Gilmour's Black Strat ($5.7 million) 2. Reach Out to Asia Fender Stratocaster ($3.9 million) 3. John Lennon's 1962 Gibson J-160E acoustic-electric ($3.5 million) 4. Bob Dylan's 1964 "Newport Folk Festival Stratocaster" ($1.4 million) 5. Eric Clapton's "Blackie" Stratocaster Hybrid ($1.38 million)

AP/ABC