A guitar that Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler borrowed for half-a-century, and a classic Gretcsch instrument that Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page gifted via a fan competition are up for sale next week. Each could make £50,000.
Both are listed at Gardiner Houlgate’s four-day guitar sale running from next Tuesday, September 9 to Friday, September 12.
The Knopfler guitar is an unusual Burns Double Six 12-string instrument.
Knopfler, who grew up in the north-east of England, borrowed the guitar from a local friend, Jeff Sadler, who played in a number of Northumberland bands, including an outfit who would later become Lindisfarne.
Knopfler is now regarded as one of the world’s greatest guitarists, but was a relative unknown when he was loaned the instrument in the mid-70s.
Burns guitars were a British answer to the largely US-dominated electric guitar boom around rock ‘n’ roll. Their space-age looks appealed to bands like The Shadows, who played them extensively. Image courtesy Gardiner Houlgate.
He kept hold of the bright red Burns and played it on Dire Straits’ second album, Communique, as well as on subsequent tours.
In January 2024, Christie’s hosted a sale of Knopfler’s guitar collection that brought in £8.8 million.
Three of Knopfler’s guitars made over £500,000, with a 1959 Gibson Les Paul selling for £693,000, against a top estimate of £500,000.
Burns was a London-based maker, founded by Jim Burns in 1959. Their guitars are famous for their unusual, slightly off-kilter design, and innovative electronics. The Double Six was introduced in 1964; a British riposte to the 12-string Rickenbacker guitars that the Beatles had jangled to the top of the charts in A Hard Day’s Night.
The Burns is expected to realise between £30,000 and £50,000.
“Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits had a huge influence on music and guitar players not just in the 1980s and ‘90s, but through to today,” Luke Hobbs, auctioneer at Gardiner Houlgate told Guitar.com.
“I’m confident this guitar will attract a lot of attention from fans and collectors alike – particularly as it has such a great story behind it.”
The Burns will vie for top spot in the sale with a 1957 Gretsch Chet Atkins 6120 owned by Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page.
Page offering up his guitar in an unusual costume for the hard rocker. Its new owner, from Turnpike Lane, London, was delighted with his win. Image Gardiner Houlgate.
The guitar was shown on the front cover of the NME in 1974, when Page gave it away via a “Spot the Guitar” competition inside the music paper.
The winner, announced in the January 18, 1975 issue of NME, was Charles M. Reid, who thought Page “mental” for awarding such a good instrument.
Page, who was influenced to buy the guitar by original rock ‘n’ roller Eddie Cochrane, said he bought the Gretsch in Nashville for around £200.
Charles Reid kept the guitar till 1990, when he sold it for £2,000 to a Surrey musician Phil O’Donoghue, who assembled provenance to prove the link to Page.
In the NME coverage of the competition Page reveals that he owns only a few guitars – a Les Paul, a spare Les Paul, and a double-necked guitar.
And his instruments rarely come to market. Gardiner Houlgate say only two have been sold previously: a 1969 Gibson Firebird that made around £60,000 in the trade last year, and, a 2007 acoustic that realised $39,000 at auction in 2024.
With very little damage, this Gretsch, linked decisively with Page during the height of his fame, may well make more than expected.
