Johnny Marr’s guitars have sold for a total of £3,649,280 at Christie’s in London, with the 111-lot Marr’s Guitars: The Johnny Marr Collection auction generating more than three times its original presale estimates.
The September 17 sale attracted registered bidders from 34 countries, while 81% of participants were bidding at Christie’s for the first time. The live auction lasted more than five hours as Marr’s guitars and other career memorabilia went under the hammer.
Johnny Marr’s Smiths guitar leads the auction
The highest-selling item was Marr’s 1982 Rickenbacker 330 Jetglo, the guitar closely associated with the sound of The Smiths during their early years.
Estimated at £60,000 to £80,000, the instrument eventually sold for £358,400 after a bidding battle lasting five minutes.
Another major result came for a 1960 Cherry Red Gibson ES-355, which Marr received in 1984 after it was bought for him by Sire Records founder Seymour Stein.
The guitar sold for £204,800.
A 1984 Cherry Gibson Les Paul Standard also reached £204,800, while a 1971 Martin D-28 acoustic guitar sold for £128,000.
Johnny Marr No Time To Die guitar sells for £46,080
Among the more recent instruments in the collection was Marr’s 2017 Fender Johnny Marr Signature Jaguar in Comet Sparkle.
The guitar was used during work on the James Bond theme for No Time To Die, including Marr’s collaboration with Hans Zimmer and Billie Eilish.
It sold for £46,080, considerably above its £8,000 to £12,000 presale estimate.
Christie’s said the sale drew strong competition from bidders around the world, with the auction continuing for more than five hours before the final lot was sold.
Johnny Marr auction raises money for charity
The auction also included 31 charity lots, covering 10 guitars as well as concert posters and sales awards from the 1980s.
One hundred per cent of the hammer price from those lots will be split equally between The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association and The National Autistic Society.
The charity component was part of Marr’s plans for the collection from the beginning, with selected instruments and memorabilia sold specifically to raise funds for both organisations.
Marr thanked the bidders and Christie’s after the auction concluded.
“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.”
What’s next for Johnny Marr?
The Christie’s auction comes shortly before Marr releases his next studio album, The Age Of Everything.
The album is scheduled for release on 2 October 2026 via BMG, with several of the guitars included in the Christie’s collection having been used in the making of the record.
Marr is also scheduled to tour Latin America in November following the album’s release.
The auction marks the latest chapter in a collection that traces Marr’s work with The Smiths and his subsequent career with The Pretenders, Electronic, Modest Mouse, The Cribs and his solo projects. Christie’s described the sale as a collection of guitars used to write, record and perform music across his career.
