Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler will unload a set of guitars he considers “old friends” at a Christie’s public sale in London subsequent yr.
The musician, whose distinctive finger-picking model drove hits for the British rockers together with “Sultans of Swing” and “Money for Nothing,” is placing 120 guitars and amps up on the market in London on Jan 31, the public sale home mentioned.
Estimated sale costs vary from 300 kilos ($375) for an electric-acoustic mandolin to 500,000 kilos ($625,000) for a 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard with a cherry crimson sunburst end. A 1983 Les Paul that Knopfler performed on Dire Straits’ chart-topping 1985 album “Brothers in Arms” and onstage that yr at Live Aid has an estimated value of 10,000 to fifteen,00 kilos.
Knopfler mentioned the gathering was the product of his 60-year “love affair” with guitars, however it was time to relinquish “some of these treasured six-string companions.”
“You can be sure I’ll be sad to see them go but we’ve had wonderful times together and I can’t play them all,” he mentioned. ”To you fellow gamers, fanatics and collectors, I want you a lot good instances with these outdated associates of mine.”
The devices will go on public show at Christie’s New York showroom Dec. 9 to 13, and on the auctioneer’s London headquarters from Jan. 19 to 30, 2024.
1 / 4 of the sale whole will go to the British Red Cross and different charities.
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