Auction of Mark Knopfler’s guitars brings in more than $10 million

Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler has made a pretty penny cleaning out his guitar closet.

The BBC reports that a recent auction of over 120 of the rocker's guitars and amps brought in over $10 million, with a quarter of that money set to go to charity.

Knopfler's 1959 Vintage Gibson Les Paul Standard was sold for the highest bid, at over $880,000, which wound up being a world auction record for that model of guitar. Another big seller was the guitar Knopfler played at Wembley Stadium for Nelson Mandela's 70th birthday tribute, which sold for over $640,000, well above the initial estimate of around $10,000.

"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," Knopfler said. “It has been heart-warming to witness how much these guitars mean to so many people and I am also pleased that they will continue to give joy to many through the songs recorded over the years with me.”

He adds, "To you fellow players, enthusiasts and collectors, I wish you all good things."

Charities benefiting from the auction include the Red Cross, the wildlife conservation organization Tusk and the children's charity Brave Hearts of the North East.

The auction comes as Knopfler is getting to release his 10th studio album, One Deep River, on April 12. It will be his first new album since 2018's Down The Road Wherever.