The famous guitarist called the auction – from which 25% of the proceeds were donated to charity – “an incredible journey”, the BBC reports.
First to be sold was Knopfler’s 1959 Vintage Gibson Les Paul Standard. Hardly ‘Money for Nothing’, the Dire Straits star was likely still surprised when its sale set a new world record for the model at auction. Sold like the other items at notable auction house Christie’s, the guitar raised £693,000.
Another shock earner was a 1988 Pensa Suhr MK-1 which Knopfler played at Nelson Mandela’s 70th birthday tribute concert at Wembley. It raised over £500,000 despite not being expected to make £10,000!
The musician’s first electric-acoustic guitar made £126,000 in comparison to its £5,000 estimate, and a 1983 Les Paul which among other notable achievements was the guitar on which Knopfler recorded ‘Money For Nothing’ sold for £592,000 despite an estimate of just £6,000. Overall, Knopfler’s auction raised over £8.8 million.
“I am so pleased that these much-loved instruments will find new players and new songs as well as raising money for charities that mean a lot to me,” the guitarist said after the auction.
“It has been heart-warming to witness how much these guitars mean to so many people,” he continued. “And I am also pleased that they will continue to give joy to many through the songs recorded over the years with me. To you fellow players, enthusiasts and collectors, I wish you all good things.”
The charities which will be receiving a share of the proceeds from this event are The British Red Cross, Tusk, and Brave Hearts of the North East. All the £403,200 from the sale of a signed 2021 Gibson Les Paul is also going to the Teenage Cancer Trust.
Speaking ahead of the auction, Knopfler admitted he’d “be sad to see [the instruments] go, but we’ve had wonderful times together, and I can’t play them all.”