The acclaimed guitarist will auction off the guitars and give away thousands to charity as part of the sale
Johnny Marr is putting 80 of his guitars up for auction.(Image: Redferns)
The Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr could win over £1 million – after announcing he will auction off 80 guitars including those he used to write classic songs. The instruments will go under the hammer at Christie’s in a sale called Marr’s Guitars: The Johnny Marr Collection on September 17.
They include a Rickenbacker 330 Jetglo on the front of the Oasis debut single Supersonic as well as guitars used by Marr to write legendary songs The Smiths as well as on his upcoming solo album The Age Of Everything will be auctioned. Marr, 62, said: “I’ve loved guitars for as long as I can remember, since the first one I got at the age of five. Every guitar I’ve acquired over the last 50 years or so has helped me develop as a musician, with new songs, new sounds and techniques.
“Writing Marr’s Guitars (his book) in 2023 gave me the perfect excuse to bring all these instruments together, to tell their stories, revisit the songs, shows and unforgettable moments they have brought me and shared with remarkable people in studios and on stages around the world. The book turned out to be a mind-blowing experience and when it came time for these beautiful instruments to go back into storage, I couldn’t imagine them being put away and left unplayed.
“It’s bittersweet to part with these guitars, but I want them to go to new homes and new people who will love them as much as I have. I hope they bring as much joy, inspiration and fun – and new songs – as they have given me.”
The sale will also include his 1960 Cherry Red Gibson ES-355, which inspired him to write Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now, and his recognizable 1982 Rickenbacker 330 Jetglo, which was used during the recording of The Smiths’ debut album and early tours.
The Gibson ES-355 was bought for him in 1983 by Sire Records founder Seymour Stein after Marr joked that The Smiths would sign to the label if Stein bought him a new guitar, and is expected to fetch between £100,000 and £150,000.
The Rickenbacker 330 Jetglo can be heard on some of The Smiths’ best-known songs, such as What Difference Does It Make? and This Charming Man, and is expected to fetch between £60,000 and £80,000. It was also on the cover of Oasis’ debut single Supersonic, after Marr lent the guitar to Noel Gallagher during early recording sessions for Definitely Maybe.
Also included in the auction is Marr’s Cherry 1984 Gibson Les Paul Standard, which was purchased for The Smiths’ second album Meat Is Murder (1985) and used on the 1985 tour and the final song for their last ever concert in December 1986.
The Les Paul is expected to fetch between £80,000 £120,000 and Marr says the instrument has also been used on records by New Order, The The, The Cribs and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.
A Comet Sparkle 2017 Fender Johnny Marr Signature Jaguar is also among the 95 lots expected to fetch between £8,000 and £12,000, having been used on Billie Eilish’s James Bond theme for the 2021 film No Time To Die, and on the James Bond theme from that film.
Highlights from the sale, called Marr’s Guitars: The Johnny Marr Collection, will be on display in New York from June 25 to July 1 before returning to Christie’s London headquarters for the pre-sale exhibition – which is free and open to the public – from September 9 to 16.
The sale will take place on September 17 at Christie’s in London. Marr donates 100% of the hammer price from 10 lots to the guide Dogs For the Blind Association and the National Autistic Society.
It comes after he announced last week that he will release The Age Of Everything, his first studio album in four years, on October 2.
With The Smiths, which was completed by singer Morrissey, bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce, Marr was one of the pioneers of British indie rock in the 1980s. The band released four critically acclaimed studio albums in The Smiths (1984), Meat Is Murder (1985), The Queen Is Dead (1986) and Strangeways, Here We Come (1987) before breaking up in 1987.
They achieved three UK top 10 singles and were best known for songs such as How Soon Is Now?, This Charming Man and Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now. Marr launched his solo career with the 2013 album The Messenger, with all of his solo albums charting in the UK top 10.
Do you like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, stay tuned to Mirror Celebs TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram,
Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Thread.
