Coldplay’s Chris Martin back in north London as first guitar sells for £20,000

Rock icon Chris Martin has seemingly thrown himself back into north London life after being spotted regularly on the streets of Hampstead and Highgate – in the same week that his first Spanish-made acoustic guitar sold for nearly £20,000 at auction.

Chris Martin's first acoustic guitar sold for £18,750 at auction, more than doubling its top estimate - Credit: Archant

The Coldplay frontman’s guitar sold for more than double its top estimate of £9,000 at an eye-watering price of £18,750 at prestigious Bonhams auction house in central London last Wednesday.

The instrument was used during the recording of the band’s first number one album Parachutes.

It was sold alongside other illustrious memorabilia, including two guitars used by legendary musician Eric Clapton.

Natalie Downing, Bonhams’ entertainment memorabilia specialist, said: “The top lot of the sale, the ex-Chris Martin acoustic guitar, comes from a pivotal point in Coldplay’s history. The band were newly formed, and starting to create those now world-famous riffs for tracks like Yellow, Trouble, Shiver and Don’t Panic.”

The musician has been spotted out and about in the neighbourhood of late, one year after reportedly putting his Belsize Park mansion on the market. Two weeks ago, he supported Highgate School’s summer fair.