Nearly 100 of Johnny Marr’s history-lavished guitars have sold for £4 million at auction.
The official sum of £3,649,280, or about $4.87m, was achieved after a five-hour Christie’s auction and included buyers from 34 countries – showing how far the Smiths guitarist’s reach spans.
The lot included a bizarre nine-pickup Stratocaster, his 1982 Rickenbacker 330 Jetglo (which also moonlighted in Oasis), and the 1960 Cherry Red ES-355, used as a bargaining chip to get the indie band to sign to US label Sire Records.
The history and prestige of those instruments were reflected in their respective sale prices, totalling over £500,000 (approx. $669,000). The Rickenbacker fetched £358,400, the ES-335 went for £204,800, and the bonkers Strat smashed its £10k estimate by going for £38,400.
Three other guitars reached triple-figure sums. The 1984 Gibson Les Paul that starred in the music video for the Smiths’ 1985 track The Boy With The Thorn In His Side sold for £204,800 (approx. $274,000). His custom Roger Giffin T-Style, in its standout green finish, went for £121,600 (approx. $163,000). It is also tied to the Smiths’ music video history via Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now and the Meat is Murder album more broadly.
Rounding out the trio is a 1963 Epiphone Casino, which was tuned up to F# and paired with a Fender Twin Reverb for the iconic main guitar track of How Soon Is Now. Estimated to sell for just £30,000, the hammer eventually went down at £102,400 (approx. $137,000).
On the acoustic front, the big winner was Marr's 1971 Martin D-28 – his main writing and recording acoustic guitar in the Smiths. That went for £128,000, smashing its £35-50k estimate.
Most of the amps up for grabs sold for just over the £10K ($13,300) threshold. They included a 1967 Fender Dual Showman head and matching 2x15” cabinet, a 1998 Matchless DC-30 combo, and a Fender Pro amp from 1960.
“The auction has been a great experience and has exceeded all my expectations,” Marr says (via the BBC). “I’d like to thank everyone who made bids and special thanks to Christie’s for making it so memorable.”
The money raised is going to Marr’s chosen charities, the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association and the Autistic Society.
It marked a prestigious guitar journey that started, he says, with a moment that felt like it came straight out of Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Speaking to Guitarist ahead of the auction, Marr said he was happy for his beloved instruments to sell for more modest figures than sums generated by Mark Knopfler and David Gilmour – whose Black Start is the most expensive guitar in the world.
“My hope is that someone who’s got a regular job in Glasgow, who fancies a good guitar but wants one of mine, will be able to afford it,” he said.
Head to Christie’s for the full auction results, and for the stories behind the guitars, check out our in-depth feature and exclusive photography.
