Christie’s auctioned off 113 of Mark Knopfler‘s guitars and string instruments Wednesday in London, along with 10 amplifiers and heads.
The top seller was a 1959 Gibson Les Paul, which sold for $879,323.
This was followed by a 1959 Gibson Les Paul reissue — $751,196.
The other big sellers were:
- 1988 Pensa-Suhr – $639,374
- 1983 Schecter – $527,494
- 2021 Gibson Les Paul – $511,417. It’s signed by Knopfler, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, David Gilmour, Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, Slash, Ronnie Wood, Brian May, Tony Iommi, Sting, Ringo Starr, Bruce Springsteen, The Edge, Buddy Guy, Joe Walsh, Vince Gill, Keith Urban, Peter Frampton, Mike Rutherford, Steve Cropper, Duane Eddy, James Burton and many others. 100% of the proceeds from this guitar go to the Teenage Cancer Trust, of which Knopfler is a patron. It’s also tied to an all-star event that will be announced in February.
- 1980 Schecter, and a 1984 Rudy Pensa by John Suhr – $351,633 each
- 16 other guitars sold for over $100,000
In total, the auction raised $11,218,774 with 25% of the total hammer price being divided equally and donated to The British Red Cross, Tusk and Brave Hearts of the North East.
Knopfler did a Q&A at Christie’s last week where he said he “came quietly” when deciding to sell off some of his collection. But, seeing some of them on display made him take notice.
“A couple of the things that I saw did make me gulp a little bit. But, you know, I’m gonna wish that I was taking them home with me, but, at the same time I’m happy. It’s a kind of a happy pain because it will go to people who, hopefully, will have new friends. You know, will make new relationships with them.”
REUTERS PHOTO
