The 80-foot neon guitar that stood tall over the Hard Rock Cafe since 1990 will soon have a new home.

Once the six pieces are reassembled the guitar will be the largest restored historical artifact in the Neon Museum. Moving the guitar to the boneyard for iconic Las Vegas signs is part of a $350,000 preservation effort.

The process began Monday when a donor commemoration piece was hoisted into place shortly after dawn.

Founded in 1996, the Neon Museum officially opened Oct. 27, 2012. Some of the signs date back to the 1930s, when gambling was legalized in Las Vegas.

Photos by Norm Clarke.