Tomorrow (Friday, October 31st) at 17:00hrs/5pm GMT/UK time, bidding for the Pink Floyd signed and Gerald Scarfe hand-painted Fender Stratocaster ends. They've changed the bidding end time to 5pm to try and accommodate all time zones, as they have had bidders from all around the world, keen to get their hands on this wonderful and highly collectible one-off instrument.

At the time of writing this, bidding stands at GB£16,000. Will the guitar end up in USA, Canada, Sweden, Holland, Australia or Africa? Or will it stay in the UK?

UPDATE: The auction has now finished; read on for more details of the instrument and what it eventually raised for a very worthy cause...

The white, Mexican Strat is very possibly the final item signed by all four members of the "classic" line-up of Pink Floyd, including, shortly before his very sad passing, Richard Wright, and is up for auction with all proceeds going to Crisis, the homelessness charity. The auction started on Thursday, October 16th, launched at a celebration in central London (more details and pictures here).

The organisers of the auction - Buy Once Give Twice - want everyone to have the fairest chance of owning it. So, as well as adapting the endtime, they've also installed an 'Overtime Bidding' feature. You know that frustration when someone 'snipes' you at the last millisecond? With Overtime Bidding, bidding within the last 3 minutes of the auction end time will extend the bidding by a further 3 minutes, to 17:03. And further bidding between 17:00 and 17:03 will add on a further 3 minutes, and so on, until there is only one bidder left. With so much interest in the guitar, and with its incredible rarity value - there can never, ever be the same one again - this has to be the best way to give everyone the best chance.

If you can't be online at 17:00 tomorrow, then make sure you put in your best bid as an autobid in advance. You will only be taken up to your autobid if and when people bid against you to raise it. If you have any queries, please email them or call on 01285 659818. They're there to help you; and you will be helping David Gilmour's supported charity, Crisis.

UPDATE: The auction finished with the guitar selling for a not-inconsiderable £16,000, which is excellent for Crisis, particularly with the winter months looming. Our congratulations to Crisis, and also to the lucky bidder!