The former recording console at Abbey Road Studios, used to record Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon, as well as by numerous other musicians, will be used once again after recently being sold at auction for $1.8million.
The console was initially valued at $700,000 but far exceeded expectations when it went on sale at Bonhams auction house. The EMI TG12345 MK IV, to give it its full title, was sold to an anonymous user, with the auction house keeping their identity and intentions for the piece of equipment secret, until now.
Speaking to The Vinyl Factory, Bonhams’ Head of Entertainment Memorabilia in London Katherine Schofield said that "part of the appeal was the excellent condition of the console and that it is in working order", adding that the buyer intends to use the piece of equipment to keep making music despite its listing initially as a piece of memorabilia.
"The majority of firm interest we received from interested buyers of the console were actively hoping to continue to use it in a modern recording studio context," she told them. "The successful buyer is hoping to do the same."