One of popular music's most successful producers and guitarists of all-time is selling a cache of historic instruments for charity.

Chic mastermind Nile Rodgers is responsible for some 500 million records sold as a songwriter, producer and session man over some 50 years.

The proceeds from the Christie-hosted auction of the 100 guitars and basses will benefit the We Are Family Foundation, which helps support "cultural diversity while nurturing and mentoring the vision, talents and ideas of young people who are positively changing the world."

One of the headlining items from the auction is a replica of Rodgers' legendary Hitmaker Stratocaster. Rodgers bought the original Hitmaker in 1973 at the urging of original Chic bassist Bernard Edwards. The guitar can be heard on legendary recordings by Chic, Sister Sledge, Diana Ross, David Bowie, Duran Duran, Madonna, Mick Jagger, Lady Gaga and many others.

While Rodgers isn't letting go of the original Hitmaker, he is parting ways with the Tokai guitar he used on Daft Punk's 2013 megahit "Get Lucky." He's also selling several historic Strats, 11 Gibson Les Pauls, several Gibson semi-hollow body guitars and even a Gibson SG signed by AC/DC.

As Rodgers told Q104.3 New York's QN'A earlier this year, he has always gravitated towards jazz guitars. The collection going up for sale boasts a multitude of historic archtop guitars, including a 1938 D'Angelico New Yorker, a 1940 Gibson ES-300, a 1951 Epiphone Zephyr DeLuxe Regent, a 1980 Ibanez Joe Pass-signed JP-20 and a 1945 Gretsch Sychromatic 300.

Among the basses for sale are a 1985 ESP 400 Series which is heavily featured on Bowie's Let's Dance album.

Go here for more information about the auction. Bidding begins on December 16.

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Lisa St. Regis