A red Baldwin Burns Double Six solid electric 12-string guitar that was lent to Dire Straits' Mark Knopfler in the mid-’70s – and not returned for over five decades – is set to fetch more than $40,000 at auction.
The guitar was lent to the Dire Straits guitarist by his old friend, Jeff Sadler, who also played guitar for a couple of bands in the Northeast of England, including the folk-rock band Lindisfarne.
Knopfler would go on to use the Double Six both in the studio and on stage, most notably on the Straits’ sophomore album, 1979's Communiqué, for the tracks Angel of Mercy and Portobello Belle, and at the 1986 Prince's Trust performance at Wembley Arena.
It was originally cataloged for last year's Mark Knopfler Guitar Collection Sale, hosted by Christie's, which fetched over $11 million and included the record-setting 1959 Vintage Gibson Les Paul Standard, which was achieved at a sale price of £693,000 [approx. $876,000].
However, the Double Six was withdrawn prior to the auction and returned to Sadler, its original owner, and is now scheduled for sale by Gardiner Houlgate in their September auction alongside a 1957 Gretsch Chet Atkins 6120 owned by Jimmy Page.
Luke Hobbs, auctioneer from Gardiner Houlgate, comments, “Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits had a huge influence on music and guitar players not just in the 1980s and ’90s, but through today. I’m confident that this guitar will attract a lot of attention from fans and collectors alike – particularly as it has such a great story behind it.”
The auction will take place on September 9. For more information, head to Gardiner Houlgate.
In his most revealing interview in years, Knopfler told Guitar World about the Straits' seminal album Brothers in Arms for its 40th anniversary and what he remembers from that era.
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