Knopfler Guitars Auction at Christie’s

[chazmo]

That explains it for me. Still... WOW! You go, Mark!

In all honesty, there aren't a lot of famous guitarists I'd like to meet some day. Knopfler is one of them!!!

 

[chazmo]

(thanks, Ralf)

 

[Midnight Toker]

True. All those prices on all those axes have only to do with provenance. Christie's estimates were WAY off. Must've been a lot of VERY rich people at that auction. Are the proceeds going to some charity? If so that might explain it. If it's just for Knopfler's guitar provenance, I'm not sure why it pulled such prices.

I bet Christie’s estimated valuation for instruments is based on street value. They usually only go way above street value when the instrument has real historical value (used on hit recordings/stage…add more if the artist is a legend that’s deceased.

 

[chazmo]

I bet Christie’s estimated valuation for instruments is based on street value. They usually only go way above street value when the instrument has real historical value or the artist is a legend that’s deceased.

Fair enough, MT. I don't follow auctions like this often. All I can say is maybe I should have my kids do a Christie's action for my crapola when I'm gone and give 25% to charity.

 

[GGJaguar]

I'm sure Christies is very pleased with the fees they've collecting from this auction.

 

[Midnight Toker]

I'm sure Christies is very pleased with the fees they've collecting from this auction.

Indeed!! They went well beyond even bloated expectations. Wouldn’t doubt if Knopfler himself informed all his rich and famous friends. Funny how some will gladly cut a generous check to a famous friend’s charity…but if they also get a guitar out of it, they’ll give boatloads!

I do follow a lot of these sort of auctions (in my lifelong hunt for Led Zep memorabilia) Had he auctioned off the guitar wrote/recorded Sultans on, it may have topped a million.

 

[SFIV1967]

Had he auctioned off the guitar wrote/recorded Sultans on, it may have topped a million.

I noticed he also kept his 2002 or 2003 Signature Strat models with S/N SE00000 and SE00001. Sure his original '61 would have sold for millions.

Ralf

 

[HeyMikey]

I get the price for the original 59 LP but not for the others. Those prices are just silly. As Hans said…

 

[Midnight Toker]

^ Yeah, most artist won’t ever part w/ guitars that were directly important to their music careers, some will, most won’t. But it definitely seems guitarist of major stature from the 60’s/70’s… The Claptons, Knopflers, Pages, etc…they all tend to “accumulate” literally hundreds of guitars during their lifetime. Only a handful of which are historically important, the rest honestly deserve no more stature than “once owned by”, and not really “Knopflers’ guitar”. If you can’t provide pics of it being used in the studio or on stage, it honestly shouldn’t more than triple it’s street value. Unless it’s a charity auction, then everything goes out the window.

 

[mavuser]

totally insane prices. and lets face it, the guy played a strat!!

 

[merlin6666]

totally insane prices. and lets face it, the guy played a strat!!

Yeah I guess that red Strat was not up for auction. And what's the relevance of the Pensa Suhr?

 

[Walter Broes]

I love my 61 Starfire, but I'm open to 40K £ offers!

 

[GGJaguar]

I'm open to 40K £ offers!

That would be about 48K euros. I think you'd be able to buy another vintage X-175 with that.

 

[chazmo]

That would be about 48K euros. I think you'd be able to buy another vintage X-175 with that.

Not from Knopfler.

 

[Neal]

Wonder how many of the guitars sold at auction will actually get played?

 

[tildeslash]

He pulled one of those arch top Strat off market that were made by Marchione when he was working at Rudy's.
One time I played a Marchione for a month - a friend of mine loan it to me. God Bless him.
It played extremely well - probably the best playing guitar ever.
So I can understand why some guitars means so much to a player they reconsider selling it.

 

[chazmo]

Wonder how many of the guitars sold at auction will actually get played?

If there were any of Knopfer's friends among the well-heeled musicians in the group that bought these, I suspect they will. For everyone else, probably not. I mean those prices have nothing to do with the guitars' markets.

 

[HeyMikey]

The Christie's auction happened in London on 1/31 and here are the results for the two Starfires:



Highest bids for those 3: An original '59 (9 1258, formerly Bobby Tench), a 1983 '59 reissue (9 0006) and a 1988 Pensa-Suhr MK-1 CUSTOM.




Ralf

Um, yes, the two Starfires will be on display within a special glass case I’m having built for them at my place in the Hamptons. Just ask Security to point you to the correct wing of the collection. Remember to look but don’t touch.

 

[SFIV1967]

And what's the relevance of the Pensa Suhr?

Scroll down to "Lot Essay", very long story!

https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-6465722

Ralf

 

[SFIV1967]

And #4 of the achieved prices was his 1983 Schecter!

And #5 that special 2021 LP Goldtop "silkscreened with Teenage Cancer Trust at the Royal Albert Hall and signed on the body by Mark Knopfler, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, David Gilmour, Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, Hank Marvin, Slash, Ronnie Wood, Brian May, Tony Iommi, Sting, Ringo Starr, Bruce Springsteen, The Edge, Joan Jett, Buddy Guy, Nile Rodgers, Joe Walsh, Vince Gill, Joe Bonamassa, Keith Urban, Peter Frampton, Sam Fender, Joan Armatrading, Mike Rutherford, Paul Carrack, Guy Fletcher, Steve Cropper, Duane Eddy, James Burton, Albert Lee, and Joe Brown; "




23 of the 122 items sold > GBP 100,000 !

Ralf