“I don’t think they do too well living in a case all their lives”: Mark Knopfler parted ways with his guitar collection – but he hopes they all get played

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2024 Year in Review: The Dire Straits icon raised a huge amount of money for charity selling off 120 prized instruments, including his 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard

Mark Knopfler auction
(Image credit: Future / Joby Sessions)

2024 Year in Review: A collection belonging to Dire Straits legend Mark Knopfler went under the hammer in February, fetching over $11 million.

120 items were offloaded through Christie’s in London, including his 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard, which sold for $884,000, setting a new auction record.

Then there was his 1988 Pensa-Suhr MK-1, which he played at Nelson Mandela’s 70th birthday tribute concert at Wembley Stadium, and the red Schecter Tele-type used on Walk of Life.

At least a quarter of the proceeds were shared across three charities close to Knopfler’s heart, and Teenage Cancer Trust collected the total $535,000 raised from a 2021 Gibson Les Paul goldtop signed by Jeff Beck, David Gilmour, Slash and more.

“I hope they all get played,” Knopfler told BBC News, adding, “I don’t think they do too well living in a case all their lives.”

The Mark Knopfler Guitar Collection | Christie's Inc - YouTube The Mark Knopfler Guitar Collection | Christie's Inc - YouTube
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Amit Sharma
Amit Sharma

Amit has been writing for titles like Total Guitar, MusicRadar and Guitar World for over a decade and counts Richie Kotzen, Guthrie Govan and Jeff Beck among his primary influences as a guitar player. He's worked for magazines like Kerrang!, Metal Hammer, Classic Rock, Prog, Record Collector, Planet Rock, Rhythm and Bass Player, as well as newspapers like Metro and The Independent, interviewing everyone from Ozzy Osbourne and Lemmy to Slash and Jimmy Page, and once even traded solos with a member of Slayer on a track released internationally. As a session guitarist, he's played alongside members of Judas Priest and Uriah Heep in London ensemble Metalworks, as well as handled lead guitars for legends like Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols, The Faces) and Stu Hamm (Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, G3).