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https://www.christies.com/auction/th...rtby=lotnumber
Seems Mark liked his archtops. Gibsons, mainly. 3 x Super 400s, An L-5, Es-5 Switchmaster, 1958 ES175, 1958 ES350, 2 x ES335 1958 & 1960, 2 x 1957 Gretsch 6120 and a 1962 Tennessean.
Surprisingly, to me anyway, there are only 4 Fenders. Most of the "Strats" are Rudy Pensa/John Suhr models and a Schecter Tele. The highlights for me are the three EKO models, 2 x 500 and the apex EKO, IMO, the 700v4 along with 4 Teisco Spectrum 5s.
Another surprise to me is the estimate on the 1983 Les Paul, the "Money for Nothing" guitar. I would have thought this would have a much higher celebrity premium. The estimate is 10 - 15K GBP (about 13 - 20K USD) The estimate on the '59 burst Lester is 300K+ GBP, or $US384K+
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12-28-2023 12:08 AM
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Auction houses often underestimate lots that they expect to fetch high bids, for good reason. The Money for Nothing guitar will go under the hammer for many times its estimate. The auction house will celebrate this ratio, which will attract new customers.
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Most of the guitars have estimates in or close to regular market value for the given model which we all know (auction house included) is unlikely. One outlier is the ‘58 Flying V copy (not actually Gibson) which seems overvalued.
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Interesting that the 1960 Super 400-CESN has a sharp cutaway, P90 pickups, and Grover Imperial tuners. I wonder if it was a custom order or if it's been modified. Description doesn't say.
GIBSON INCORPORATED, KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN, CIRCA 1960
All sales include a 26% buyer premium, presumably that isn't factored into their estimates.
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It always amazes me when celebrities build up large collections of guitars and then, all of a sudden, they dump them via an auction. They obviously don’t get too attached to their fine vintage guitars. Unless they are just moving a bunch to make room for more.
Keith
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He can now buy more race cars.
I didn't realize that he was born in Scotland and lived there in his early life. He also studied journalism and worked as a journalist for awhile, and got a degree in English and worked as a professor (lecturer) for several years before becoming a full-time musician.
One of the few great guitarists of his generation I haven't seen live. I don't think he's ever performed anywhere near where I was living at the time.
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Celebrities grow old.
Originally Posted by floatingpickup
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I can relate. He's "only" 74. Originally Posted by Litterick
I imagine at a certain point maintaining and even storing a largish vintage collection becomes a burden, and "thinning down the herd" seems like a good idea.
Rick Nielsen auctioned off a bunch of his guitars a few years ago. Mark is a piker compared to Rick, who has or at least had 2000 of them. (I think he's down to 500 now.)
Joe Bonamassa and Dave Rogers might be giving these boys a run for their money, certainly in the realm of quality and collectibility.
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Not a celebrity, but I sometimes think I don't want my wife to have to deal with getting rid of my music equipment when I die. Originally Posted by Litterick
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"SALE ROOM NOTICE
Mark Knopfler plans to donate no less than 25% of the total hammer price received, to be split equally between The British Red Cross Society (a charity registered in England and Wales with charity number 220949, Scotland with charity number SC037738, Isle of Man with charity number 0752, and Jersey with charity number 430), Brave Hearts of the North East (a charity registered in England and Wales with charity number 1006247) and the Tusk Trust Limited (a charity registered in England and Wales with charity number 1186533)."
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I have 2 opinions. One is to take measures when I am a bit older and not so much sand left in the upper part of the hourglass, i.e., start divesting myself of stuff. (I collect a lot of things and have a full woodworking shop, so not something to be taken lightly.) Originally Posted by fep
The other is for my remaining family to host the mother of all estate sales. I go to a lot of them, and I'm convinced mine would compare very well in the quality vs quantity department.
As an aside, some of the estate sales of very wealthy people in town demonstrate to me that A) a lot of them have terrible taste B) they have a LOT of crap and C) none of their family thinks much of their stuff.
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I cannot stand guitar auctions and the whole process turns me off. I don't care who you are but the very rich and famous I suppose not like me. I like when guitars are sold, and they go to real players who appreciate them as instruments that make music and enhance your life. I get attached to my guitars and just letting them out on the open market is not something I hope happens with anyone in the auction frenzy. I realize it will never work like that but each guitar I have has a place and a story besides just a collection. Behind them of real people who played and made them.
I think of my Campellone, made by Mark some 26 years ago. Here we are today, and I am still in touch with him, and he makes great guitars that deserve attention. I would love to go back in time and see the day John D'angelico turn out my New Yorker in March of 1937. I wonder who played it first. I could go on and on. But guitar auction that feeds on bidding and glamour I hate. The Auction House is making money for really having nothing to do with the music or the guitars, no thanks. Get me away from those places now.
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Mark would have made a lot of money during his peak years but he was also touring quite a bit. If he saw something interesting it was often probably easier to buy it and send it back home so he could spend more time on it after his batch of touring and promotional commitments finished. By the time you need to cull a few to make space at home, you've probably been able to buy a much bigger house so the cull is less urgent. Eventually you admit to yourself that there are guitars you haven't touched in 20 years so you're probably never going to play them. Originally Posted by floatingpickup
One difference with this auction is that all the better stuff has been played on tours and albums, unlike the Peter Green auction which had very few quality pieces and mostly cheap Chinese-made stuff which company reps probably gave him in the hope of getting an endorsement or at least having him play them on stage.
I'd be interested to see what guitars he's keeping.
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I'm surprised the real Flying Vs aren't much more expensive. In the original '58-'59 run they only made about 200 of them. Originally Posted by ThatRhythmMan
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The originals from the original run are WAY more expensive. Originally Posted by Banksia
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I wouldn't worry too much about Mark, I'm sure he has put aside many guitars to play in his dotage. I believe he has another '50's SB Les Paul for instance. And I don't see that Monteleone of his in there either. I bet he still has his original red strat (Sultans of Swing). He did a video series of a lot of his guitars, including an episode with Monteleone, worth watching.
I suspect he has a few that will have to be "pried away from his dead hands", or whatever the phrase is.
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It is not simply a guitarist buying kit and keeping it at home. These men are the heads of corporations that exist to help them make music. Pete Townshend, in his autobiography, writes of studios and warehouses, and all the people who keep them running.
In the video below, Townshend shows the first day in the studio for making a new Who album. Townshend did not grab a couple of guitars from home and bring them with him in the back of the Maserati. Simon Law (assistant to Townshend's guitar and amp tech, Alan Rogan) has chosen several guitars from the collection, and brought them to the studio for Townshend's inspection (2:20).
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He's getting older, probably not playing as many of his guitars or playing as much. Happens to all of us. Originally Posted by floatingpickup
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I suspect he is sick. He may need the money for bills/family-security. Every time I see a famous player's collection for sale, they end up passing away soon after.
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Of course it would be cool to own the Steinberger from "Money For Nothing" video ;-)
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His 2023 net worth is about $105 Million. Originally Posted by TheGrandWazoo
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Some of us forget that, to many other guitarists, famous or not, the guitar is seen as a tool. It may also be seen as a work of art, but essentially it's a tool for creating our musical art, much like a hammer or even a powered hammer drill to a craftsman. Knopfler preferred custom super-strats over the vintage ones in the early 80's because they were right for him. Whether they were prettier or worth more didn't matter when making the records. He probably still has sentimental pieces, but hasn't a need for the excess. These guitars can be put to better use by someone else, be it in a studio, on a stage, or in a museum rather than a climate-controlled warehouse. Better yet when some of the sales proceeds got to good causes.
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I don’t know that he’s sick. He did say that last year’s tour would be his last. So no more touring… Originally Posted by TheGrandWazoo
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Clapton (the pioneer of rock star guitar auctions) is still alive. Off the top of my head i don’t know whether any other guitarists of that level of revenue success have auctioned off their collections, but I suspect any who have did so for reasons other than need. Originally Posted by TheGrandWazoo
My guess would be Knopfler is just looking at the time value of money and at wanting to simplify things for his heirs and saying now’s the time to convert these into cash. It’s like selling the family business to retire when the kids don’t want to run it. He’ll probably sell his publishing, too.
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