Johnny Marr guitar collection fetches almost £4 million at auction

The Smiths star Johnny Marr said the sale of his guitar collection “exceeded all my expectations” as it fetched almost £4 million.Several guitars used by the musician were among 111 lots up for sale on Thursday as part of Christie’s London auction, Marr’s Guitars: The Johnny Marr Collection.The sale lasted for more than five hours and included buyers from 34 countries, fetching £3,649,280, which is more than three times its estimated value.A selection of guitars on display during the preview at Christie’s (Yui Mok/PA)PA WireMarr said: “The auction has been a great experience and has exceeded all my expectations.“I’d like to thank everyone who made bids and special thanks to Christie’s for making it so memorable.”Among the items that went under the hammer was Marr’s 1982 Rickenbacker 330 Jetglo, which was used on The Smiths’ debut album and early tours.The guitar – which can be heard on the tracks What Difference Does It Make?, This Charming Man, Still Ill, and Accept Yourself – sold for well above its pre-sale estimate, fetching £358,400.A selection of guitars on display (Yui Mok/PA)PA WireThe Rickenbacker also appeared on the cover of Oasis’ debut single Supersonic after Marr lent the guitar to Noel Gallagher during early recording sessions for Definitely Maybe.The auction also included his 1960 Cherry Red Gibson ES-355, which inspired Marr to write the music for The Smiths’ 1984 single Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now and its B-side Girl Afraid, up for sale.It sold for £204,800, well over its estimated price, which ranged from £100,000 to £150,000.The guitar was purchased for him in the 1980s by Sire Records founder Seymour Stein after Marr joked The Smiths would sign to the label if Stein bought him a new guitar.The Fender Johnny Marr Signature Jaguar Comet Sparkle sold for more than triple its estimated value, fetching £46,080 after a heated bidding war lasted almost five minutes.A selection of guitars on display during the preview at Christie’s in central London (Yui Mok/PA)PA WireThe instrument was used to record the James Bond theme for Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack for the 2021 film No Time To Die, and Marr took the guitar onstage at the Brit Awards a year earlier to perform the title song with pop star Billie Eilish.Read MoreThe sale also saw 100% of the hammer price of 31 lots, which included 10 guitars, donated to two charities: The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association and The National Autistic Society.The sale also included amplifiers, many gold and silver records achieved throughout Marr’s decades-long career, The Smiths posters and memorabilia, and a collection of harmonicas belonging to the rocker.Amelia Walker, Christie’s specialist head of private and iconic collections, London, said: “We are thrilled to have been able to partner with Johnny Marr for this landmark auction, the results of which reflect his groundbreaking and unparalleled musical influence.“It has been an absolute honour to work with him and to share these amazing instruments and their stories with so many fans, collectors and fellow musicians around the world.“We are also delighted to have been able to support Johnny in raising valuable funds for his chosen charities.”Marr found fame alongside singer Morrissey, bass player Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce as a member of The Smiths, who were one of the pioneers of British indie rock in the 1980s.The band released four critically acclaimed studio albums – 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 There Is A Light That Never Goes Out.Marr launched his solo career with his 2013 album The Messenger, with all of his solo albums charting in the UK top 10.