Johnny Marr Guitars Sell for £560k+
The Smiths legend's 1982 Rickenbacker and 1960 Gibson ES-355 fetch £358,400 and £204,800 at auction
Two guitars owned by Johnny Marr have sold for more than £560,000 at auction as part of Christie's Marr's Guitars: The Johnny Marr Collection sale.
The 1982 Rickenbacker 330 Jetglo, which was used during the recording of The Smiths' debut album and on the band's early tours, sold for £358,400. This guitar can be heard on songs including This Charming Man, Still Ill and What Difference Does It Make?
The 1960 Cherry Red Gibson ES-355, which was bought for Johnny Marr by Sire Records founder Seymour Stein in 1983, sold for £204,800. This guitar inspired Johnny Marr to write the music for The Smiths' 1984 single Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now and its B-side Girl Afraid.
The auction comes ahead of the release of Marr's first studio album in four years, The Age Of Everything, due out on 2 October. The album's release is highly anticipated, and the auction of Marr's guitars has generated significant interest among music fans and collectors.
## Why it matters The sale of Johnny Marr's guitars is significant not only because of the high prices they fetched but also because of the instruments' historical importance in the music world. As a member of The Smiths, Johnny Marr played a crucial role in shaping the British indie music scene, and his guitars are a part of that legacy. The auction is part of a larger sale that includes 111 lots, with further items expected to sell for thousands.
The auction's outcome is a testament to the enduring popularity of The Smiths and Johnny Marr's music. The high prices paid for the guitars reflect the value that collectors and fans place on these iconic instruments, which have been used to create some of the most memorable songs in rock history.
