Guitars by Mark Knopfler of the British group Dire Straits, including that of their hit “Money for Nothing”, reached hundreds of thousands of pounds at auction at Christie's in London on Wednesday.
The centerpiece of the sale, an original Gibson Les Paul Standard from 1959, sold for 693,000 pounds, fees included (812,841 euros). According to Christie's, this is an auction record for this model.
She notably served on tours in 2001 (Sailing To Philadelphia Tour) and 2008 (Kill To Get Crimson Tour).
Mark Knopfler, now 74, acquired it 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 was estimated between 300,000 and 500,000 pounds (between 400,000 and 570,000 euros).
Another choice piece, the guitar from
Money for Nothing
and
Brothers in Arms
sold for 592,200 pounds (694,300 euros).
It was also on this instrument, purchased by the artist in 1983 in New York, that Mark Knopfler played at the Live Aid concert in 1985. Christie's had estimated it at between 10,000 and 15,000 pounds.
The red and white Schecter guitar from
Walk of Life
went for 415,800 pounds (487,500 euros) - a record for a Schecter - during this sale which started two hours late due to "
extraordinary interest"
that it aroused, according to Christie's.
However, the records reached by Kurt Cobain guitars ($4.7 and $6 million) at auctions in 2022 and 2020 were not reached.
Another particularly remarkable piece from the Mark Knopfler sale, a 1958 Gibson ES-335, one of the fifty examples produced during the first year of the first semi-hollowbody electric guitar, was sold for 176,400 pounds (206,800 euros)
In total, the sale includes 121 lots - guitars and amps - and at least a quarter of the profits are going to charities, including the British Red Cross.