LONDON, Feb. 23, 2026 — The recently reopened Regent Sounds guitar shop on Denmark Street is set to launch its new Vintage Lounge with an exclusive online auction of T-Bone Walker’s renowned 1949 Gibson ES-5N, known as “the guitar that started it all.”

This special five-week event will take place on Reverb, the world’s largest online marketplace for musical instruments, from February 23 to March 31.

The event aims to bring together rock and roll luminaries, collectors, and industry insiders to commemorate Regent Sounds’ history and forge a new chapter in guitar lore.

T-Bone Walker’s iconic Gibson ES-5N is widely regarded as one of the most valuable and historically significant musical instruments in existence, owing to its extreme rarity, confirmed provenance, historical importance, and unique 77-year history.

The guitar is being offered for sale via closed bidding exclusively on Reverb, with Regent Sounds inviting starting bids or offers in the region of £1,500,000.

Having been T-Bone’s companion for nearly two decades, “the guitar that started it all” was one of only 22 instruments of its kind built that year and represented a pivotal moment in the evolution of the electric guitar and the broader history of music.

Many recognize T-Bone as the ultimate guitarist’s guitarist, whose innovative playing style, techniques, and licks profoundly influenced a multitude of musicians who followed, including Chuck Berry, B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Jeff Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Greg Allman, and Steve Miller.

This collaboration with Reverb to offer such a legendary guitar to a global audience signifies another major stride in Regent Sounds’ successful resurgence and the ongoing revitalization of Denmark Street.

The guitar will be available for public viewing and for close inspection by appointment at Regent Sounds throughout the duration of the event.

Regent Sounds’ recording studios were famously utilized by The Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, David Gilmour, Brian May, David Bowie, Elton John, The Kinks, Genesis, and numerous other artists from the 1960s through the early 1980s.

Notable tracks recorded at Regent Sounds include The Beatles’ “Fixing a Hole” in 1967, a key song on *Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band*, and “Not Fade Away,” an early single from The Rolling Stones’ debut album.

In recent years, prolonged uncertainty regarding its future had left the shop in a state of flux. Now, with the original space fully restored and expanded, the shop has quadrupled in size. Featuring a high-end Rare and Vintage Guitar Lounge and three soundproof booths for instrument testing on the shop floor, Regent Sounds is bringing music back to Denmark Street, London’s historic “Tin Pan Alley.”

Jim Tuerk, Reverb’s VP of Marketing, commented, “This is a rare opportunity to acquire a piece of music history. T-Bone Walker’s impact on the transition of blues into modern rock cannot be overstated, and this guitar played a central role in that narrative. Reverb is dedicated to giving guitars and other gear second, third, and fourth lives, and it is fitting that Regent Sounds, a legendary establishment in its own right, will be the shop to facilitate this guitar’s next chapter.”

Tony Bacon, author of *ELECTRIC BLUES! T-Bone Walker & The Guitar That Started It All*, stated, “Without the genius and virtuosity of T-Bone Walker, it is unlikely that rock and roll would have proliferated through artists like the Rolling Stones or Jimi Hendrix, whose connections make Regent Sounds such a revered location for music enthusiasts.”

Crispin Weir, co-owner of Regent Sounds, remarked, “Regent Sounds has always been a pilgrimage site for music fans due to our rich heritage. However, the recent expansion of the shop across two floors, the inauguration of the Vintage Lounge, and the addition of our soundproof booths signify an even more promising future. The sale of T-Bone’s iconic ‘guitar that started it all’ and the partnership with Reverb are merely the beginning.”

Notes to Editors

Press Enquiries:

Auction Website:

Guitar Website:

Regent Sounds:

About Reverb:

About Tony Bacon:

Photo:

SOURCE Regent Sounds