On the last day of January 2024, lonely gearhounds opened their hearts and wallets to Christie’s, the world’s pre-eminent auction house for vintage and luxury goods. What caught our eye were the 122 lots in The Mark Knopfler Guitar Collection — a stunning spread of guitars and amplifiers belonging to the Dire Straits front man that reveals what kind of gear can be collected throughout decades of passion and success.
As we browsed through all the guitars, amps, and more, we were impressed with how The Mark Knopfler Guitar Collection is a true player’s delight. There were Fender oddities, Italian hot rods, weathered vintage Gibson and Martin acoustics built in the 1950s, one original 1959 Les Paul, and much more. Let’s take a look at the guitars and the values! (Note that the values listed below are from the time of the sale.)
Les Paul Standard ’59 Reissue
Approximate sale price: $751,000 USD
This Les Paul Standard ’59 Reissue was by no means the oldest guitar sold by Knopfler, but it’s easily his most iconic. The reissue, built in 1983, was Knopfler’s calling card at the height of Dire Straits’ success. This is the Les Paul that dominates the cover of the chart-topping “Money for Nothing” single released in 1985. The band earned two Grammy Awards for the song, which, perhaps, inspired them to deploy Knopfler’s Les Paul once more in 1988 on art for the band’s greatest hits album, Money for Nothing. Knopfler appropriately included a copy of the “Money for Nothing” single with the guitar, which will no doubt help the new owner explain the pricey Les Paul’s significance to future house guests.
Les Paul Standard ’59 Original
Approximate sale price: $878,000 USD
This original 1959 Les Paul Standard might just be the Knopfler Collection’s crown jewel. Vintage buffs view 1959 Les Pauls as the pinnacle of Les Paul craftsmanship — the ’59 neck profile and Seth Lover PAF humbuckers are just slices of what make the ’59 such a massive earner on the used market. In fact, an authentic ’59 was too rich even for Knopfler’s blood until long after Dire Straits’ commercial peak. Knopfler bought the ’59 at an esteemed vintage dealer in London in 1999. He was aided by Pete Townshend’s late guitar tech, Alan Rogan. Christie’s cites the original owner as one Bobby Tench, best known for his work with Van Morrison, Freddie King, and the Jeff Beck Group. The ’59 is reportedly a backup for Knopfler’s go-to Les Paul, an original 1958 that remains in his possession.
Mark Knopfler Signature Stratocaster, Artist Prototype
Approximate sale price: $144,000 USD
Any piece of signature gear worth playing is crafted with artist input — a process that often puts prototype models in the artist’s possession. Two of Knopfler’s own production-line signature Stratocasters were up for sale, but it was this Stratocaster prototype that fetched the highest price. Knopfler based his signature Fender on a ’61 Stratocaster with a rosewood fingerboard. It was this Strat that propelled Dire Straits’ self-titled debut to success, earning Knopfler his lasting nickname as “the Sultan of Swing.” Interestingly, his signature Strat uses an ash body instead of alder. We know that Knopfler’s original ’61 Strat was refinished in red, and the use of ash in Fender’s signature re-creation suggests the original Strat may have had a blonde or natural finish. Ash is Fender’s go-to tonewood for solidbody electrics with lighter finishes, which gel perfectly with ash’s orderly and well-defined wood grain to create a premium look.
Chet Atkins 6120 Hollowbody (x2)
Approximate sale prices: $67,000 and $61,000 USD
Gretsch fans rejoice — Mark Knopfler gets it! The star’s collection included not one but two Gretsch Chet Atkins 6120 hollowbody electric guitars, each built in 1957. Pickup scholars are quick to call out the significance of 1957 for Gretsch. This was the last full calendar year to feature Dynasonics as Gretsch’s de facto guitar pickups. The company debuted their new Filtertron pickup standard in 1958, and this was arguably the first hum-canceling pickup ever produced. Gretsch was quick to abandon Dynasonics, but not every player followed suit. The fluidity and razor-sharp attack of original Dynasonics still offer unique and visceral single-coil playing experiences. The fact that Knopfler owned two Chet Atkins 6120s from 1957 speaks volumes to the hold that the pickups, once abandoned as primitive, continue to have on musicians around the world.
Fender Electric XII 12-string
Approximate sale price: $80,000 USD
The Electric XII — Fender’s take on the 12-string solidbody — first appeared in the mid-’60s. Knopfler’s Electric XII was manufactured in 1966 and fittingly oozes a ’60s vibe of California dreaming. Pros love how the Fender Electric XII balanced Fender comfort and playability to notoriously uncomfortable 12-string guitars, but the Electric XII was only ever manufactured intermittently. 12-strings are labor-intensive to build and are rarely used as main instruments, which makes them less viable for mass production and sale. Knopfler’s sunburst Electric XII included a hardshell case laced with a few souvenirs — notably two paper luggage tags for flights to DFW International Airport via American Airlines. For a great-playing Fender-inspired 12-string of your own, check out the new Squier Paranormal Jazzmaster XII 12-string in Lake Placid Blue or Olympic White, both available at Sweetwater.
No Six-figure Expenditure Account? No Problem!
What was our takeaway here at Sweetwater? Owning proper tools is important! Gear owned by world-famous musicians can fetch quite a pretty penny these days. Take Kurt Cobain’s battle-worn BOSS DS-1 Distortion pedal, for instance, which, in 2022, sold for $75,000 at Julien’s Auctions. The cost of purchasing a brand-new DS-1 from Sweetwater in February of 2024? Well below $100!
As is frequently the case with star-studded auctions, Knopfler is donating a good chunk of the proceeds to philanthropic groups: British Red Cross, Brave Hearts of the North East (a support org for children with severe illnesses), and Tusk (a UK-based funder of wildlife conservation operating in multiple African nations). These groups will equally split 25% of the total hammer price — the final sum paid to Christie’s by winners, including taxes and fees.
One way to see high-dollar guitars for yourself is by checking out large collections sometimes displayed for the public. The Jim Irsay Collection, for instance, is a private collection that’s often available for public viewing.
Check out our interview with the staff behind Irsay’s mind-boggling collection, and learn more about the world of high-end used gear! Discover vintage treasures or fund your next acquisition by selling used gear on Sweetwater’s Gear Exchange!
