Foo Fighters guitar used by frontman Dave Grohl in hit video fetches £46,000 at auction

The Gretsch White Falcon guitar was played by Dave Grohl in the 1997 video for Monkey Wrench. Credit: PA

A guitar used by Dave Grohl in one of the Foo Fighters' first hit videos has sold at auction for £46,000.

The Gretsch White Falcon guitar, played by Grohl in the 1997 video for Monkey Wrench, was originally owned by the American rock band's rhythm guitarist Pat Smear.

It was used widely on their second album The Colour And The Shape released that year.

It was auctioned at Wiltshire-based specialist music auctioneers Gardiner Houlgate in Corsham on September 8.

The guitar was sold with a Polaroid photograph, taken by Smear, of Hollywood actress Drew Barrymore playing it.

The guitar was sold with a Polaroid photograph of Hollywood actress Drew Barrymore playing it. Credit: PA

Auctioneer Luke Hobbs said: "This is a very exciting guitar as it's one of the few owned by the Foo Fighters, arguably the biggest current rock band on Earth, ever to come to public auction.

"Monkey Wrench was the band's breakthrough single and also the first to feature drummer Taylor Hawkins, who died tragically this March.

"The fact that it features so prominently in the band's iconic Monkey Wrench video makes it all the more attractive to collectors and fans."

The White Falcon was sold by a private collector.

Pat Smear, who was also the on-tour rhythm guitarist with Grohl's previous band Nirvana, bought the guitar in 1996.

In a written provenance statement, Smear explained that he wanted to own a White Falcon having seen one of the instruments played by British new wave band Bow Wow Wow.