Walter Becker

The guitar can be seen in Steely Dan's sixth studio album, Aja. "A 1957 Fender Duo-Sonic electric guitar which is being played by Walter Becker in a photograph used in the liner notes to the 1977 Steely Dan album Aja. The original finish has been stripped and left natural, the guitar is also equipped with a maple neck and fretboard, anodized aluminum pickguard and later 6- saddle bridge. The neck plate is impressed with the serial number -20617. Accompanied by the original hard shell case and a copy of the album." to quote the cite.

"A 1957 Gibson Les Paul Special electric guitar. An early favorite of Walter Becker’s and one of the few that hung in his studio. The solid mahogany body and neck with TV Yellow finish, equipped with a pair of P90 pickups. The headstock is stamped with the serial number 70202. Accompanied by the original hard shell case" To quote.

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"This is Walter's main guitar, it's a Sadowsky Walter Becker Signature Series. Three P90s and some tricky little electronics going on in there. The dual-positions are hum cancelling, which comes in handy because these things can create quite a bit of noise. There's a switchable EQ curve on that switch, and then it's three position pre-amp it's just like a buffer boost and then like a severe gain boost. This guitar will see action most of the night." - David Rule, Walter Becker's guitar technician.

"A 1954 Fender Stratocaster that was kept in the control room of Walter Becker’s studio, serial number 0860. The neck is inscribed with “TG-11-54,” the body has been factory-refinished, the electronics and pickguard are later." to quote the cite.

He used during the band's Shuffle Diplomacy 2011 US tour.

"A 1969 Fender Custom solidbody electric guitar finished in sunburst. The pickups have been replaced with a pair of embossed Gibson humbuckers and the tuners are also later. Serial number 262166 to neck plate. Accompanied by a hard shell case" to quote the cite.

From 5:55 to 6:59 the guitar is shown, it is based of a Gibson Firebird but has the finish and binding of a Gold top Gibson Les Paul.

"A 1991 Gibson Flying V guitar. The originally white finish has yellowed substantially. Headstock impressed with serial number 90561706. Accompanied by the original hard shell case" to quote.

"An Italian made Vox Phantom electric guitar circa 1960s. The original white finish has faded to a pale pink and the guitar has been modified with a pair of humbucking pickups. The serial number 378225 is impressed to the neck plate. Accompanied by the original hard shell case" to quote the cite.

Walter Becker owned an Italian-made Vox Phantom IV bass guitar from the 1960s, as listed on Julienslive. The instrument features a black finish, a pair of single-coil pickups, and a neck plate with the serial number 232723. It comes with the original hard shell case.

Posthumously auctioned via Julien's on October 18, 2019 as Lot #357 of Auction #3244, "Property from the Estate of Walter Becker".

A Slingerland Songster archtop acoustic guitar circa 1930s, constructed with a spruce top and rosewood fretboard all with sunburst finish and white binding. Accompanied by a hard shell case.

PROVENANCE From the Estate of Walter Becker