Johnny Marr’s Guitar Auction Raises Over £3.6 Million, Tripling Estimates

Christie’s sold Johnny Marr’s personal guitar collection for over £3.6 million, more than three times the pre-sale estimate. The proceeds go to the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association and the Autistic Society.

The sale did not lean on sentiment alone. The instruments carried concrete histories. A 1982 Rickenbacker 330 Jetglo, used on The Smiths’ debut album and later lent to Noel Gallagher for Definitely Maybe, sold for £358,400. A 1960 Cherry Red Gibson ES-355, tied to the band’s signing with Sire and heard on “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now,” went for £204,800.

Marr kept his statement short: “The auction has been a great experience and has exceeded all my expectations.” He thanked bidders and Christie’s. Christie’s specialist Amelia Walker described Marr’s musical influence as “groundbreaking and unparalleled,” framing the sale as an honor for the auction house.

The auction lands weeks before Marr releases his fifth solo album, The Age of Everything, on 2 October, followed by a short Latin American tour. As a cultural marker, the sale reflects how specific instruments from British guitar music have become collectible records of the music itself, with prices matching the stories attached to them.