LONDON (AP) 鈥� Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler will sell off a collection of guitars he considers 鈥渙ld friends鈥� at a Christie鈥檚 auction in London next year.
The musician, whose distinctive finger-picking style drove hits for the British rockers including 鈥淪ultans of Swing鈥� and 鈥淢oney for Nothing,鈥� is putting 120 guitars and amps up for sale in London on Jan. 31, the auction house said Tuesday.
Estimated sale prices range from 300 pounds ($375) for an electric-acoustic mandolin to 500,000 pounds ($625,000) for a 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard with a cherry red sunburst finish. A 1983 Les Paul that Knopfler played on Dire Straits鈥� chart-topping 1985 album 鈥淏rothers in Arms鈥� and onstage that year at Live Aid has an estimated price of 10,000 to 15,00 pounds.
Knopfler said the collection was the product of his 60-year 鈥渓ove affair鈥� with guitars, but it was time to relinquish 鈥渟ome of these treasured six-string companions.鈥�
鈥淵ou can be sure I鈥檒l be sad to see them go but we鈥檝e had wonderful times together and I can鈥檛 play them all,鈥� he said. 鈥漈o you fellow players, enthusiasts and collectors, I wish you many good times with these old friends of mine.鈥�
The instruments will go on public display at Christie鈥檚 New York showroom Dec. 9 to 13, and at the auctioneer鈥檚 London headquarters from Jan. 19 to 30, 2024.
A quarter of the sale total will go to the British Red Cross and other charities.
The Associated Press
