Guitars Mark Knopfler Sell for more than 10 million Dollars
An impressive amount of 122 guitars owned by British musician Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits fame have been auctioned off for a total of more than £8.8 million (more than 10 million dollars). Part of the proceeds will go to charity.
The instruments went under the hammer at Christie’s auction house in London on Wednesday, January 31.
The top price of £693,000 (about $870,000) was paid for a 1959 Gibson Les Paul. Another top seller was the 1983 Les Paul that Knopfler used for the Dire Straits hits ‘Money for Nothing’ and ‘Brothers in Arms’, and on which he played at the legendary Live Aid concert in 1985. A bidder paid £592,000 ($743,000) for the guitar.
The musician hopes the new owners will play the guitars, he previously told the BBC. “I don’t think it’s very good for them to sit in a case for the rest of their lives”, he said.
Although Knopfler has now given up some of his guitars, he did not rule out using the proceeds from the auction to buy new instruments again. “I guess I’m not immune to temptation”, he said.
