Bee Gees guitar to go under the hammer

The Gibson J45 acoustic was used by Maurice Gibb to compose the band's 1975 breakthrough disco hit Jive Talkin', the success of which led to the Bee Gees contributing to the soundtrack of the hit 1977 film Saturday Night Fever.

It was the film's soundtrack that breathed new life into the disco craze of the late 1970s and propelled the Bee Gees to global chart dominance.

Famously, Gibb, who died in 2003 aged 53, composed the track on the guitar after driving across a bridge in Florida and hearing the rhythm made by the car's tyres on the road surface.

The guitar will be sold at British auctioneers Gardiner Houlgate next month in what will be the UK's largest ever auction of guitars.

Also being sold is a second Maurice Gibb-owned guitar, an exceptionally rare custom-made 1968 Gibson EBS-1250 double-neck, which combines a bass and guitar into a single instrument.

It is believed to be the only one of its kind made by Gibson in 1968.

Auctioneer Luke Hobbs said Bee Gees' instruments were exceptionally rare and neither guitar had ever been offered for public auction before.

"We've over 400 guitars in September's sale, making this the largest ever auction of guitars held in the UK, possibly the world," he said.

"We're expecting massive international interest."

Both Bee Gees' guitars are being sold by UK-based private collectors and each is expected to fetch over STG10,000 ($A17,500) when they are auctioned on September 12.

The guitar used by George Harrison at the Beatles' last appearance at Liverpool's Cavern Club in 1963 will also be going under the hammer.

Australian Associated Press