Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits auctions his guitar collection at Christie’s

The frontman of the British rock group Dire Straits is parting ways with 120 of his precious instruments. The sale will take place on January 31 in London at Christie’s, where the guitars will be on display from January 19.

Alert among guitarists and admirers of Dire Straits around the world: Mark Knopfler, the star guitarist of the British group, will sell 120 of his guitars and amps at auction next January, including the one with which he recorded the hit Money For Nothing and performed at the Live Aid concert in 1985, the Christie’s auction house announced on Tuesday, November 21, 2023.

Following in the footsteps of David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, who parted ways in 2019 with his most emblematic six-string in a fit of “big cleaning”singer and guitar virtuoso Mark Knopfler, 74, has decided to auction off the instruments with which he spanned his 50-year career with Dire Straits but also as a solo artist.

Iconic names and tailor-made models

“I’ve spent a lot of time with these guitars, but they need a good home”, he explains, quoted in the Christie’s press release. Today, “why hold on to them when there are people who would love to have them and play with them every day?”, he justifies. The musician, nicknamed “the quiet man of rock” for his serenity, is known for his playing in fingerpicking and its expressive and airy style. With Dire Straits, he created one of the most recognizable sounds of the 1980s, inspired by blues and country.

Him, whose “the love affair with guitars” was born when he was a child, has assembled over time an impressive collection of electric and acoustic instruments including “iconic and world-famous names” such as Gibson, Fender, Gretsch and Martin, as well as custom-made models from luthiers around the world, says the auction house. While recognizing that it will be “sad to see it go” its instruments, Knopfler wishes future owners to pass “lots of good times with these old friends of mine”.

Two 1959 Les Pauls, highlights of the sale

Among the most coveted pieces in the sale is an original 1959 Les Paul Standard guitar, which he acquired from Bobby Tench of the Jeff Beck Group. On the back of the guitar, some varnish is missing, where the instrument rubbed against its owner’s belt. It is estimated between 300,000 and 500,000 pounds sterling (between 400,000 and 570,000 euros).

Also up for sale is the 1983 Les Paul Standard 59 Reissue guitar with which he recorded Money For Nothing and performed at the Live Aid concert in 1985. It is estimated at between 10,000 and 15,000 pounds sterling (between 11,456 and 17,184 euros).

Another precious six-string, the 1988 Pensa-Suhr MK-1, made almost tailor-made for the tribute concert celebrating Nelson Mandela’s 70th birthday at Wembley Stadium (London), June 11, 1988. A guitar released a week earlier on scene with Eric Clapton at a Prince gala. It is estimated between 6,000 and 8,000 pounds (between 6,873 and 9,165 euros).

The guitars will be displayed in London before the sale

The auction will take place on January 31 in London. The sale will be preceded by an exhibition from December 9 to 13, 2023 in New York, then in London from January 19 to 30, 2024, at Christie’s headquarters. A quarter of the profits from the sale will go to charities, including the British Red Cross.

Interviewed on the BBC, Mark Knopfler, whose passion is far from extinguished – he continues to look at guitars in store windows wherever he goes, he explains in the press release – admitted that he maybe buy new guitars with the money he makes from the sale. “I guess I’m not impervious to temptation.”he said, laughing.