I did feel a tinge of sadness when I read the news about the auction. Especially the red walk of life telecaster. Not sure why, maybe because it was always played early on in a set and I was always on a high looking forward to the show. Who knows as I don’t. Im in the lucky location to be able to go to the presale viewing assuming its open to the general public.I did the same with the recent Freddie Mercury auction. The estimates at the FM auction were ridiculous, I think auctioneers call it “come and buy me valuations”. Hundreds of menial items valued at £50-100 all went for £1k+. I understand MK doesn’t have anywhere near the same appeal but their are only 120 lots which will push the price up as well.
Yeah, the Red Telecaster is certainly iconic, to me even more iconic than the 1983 Les Paul as Mark used it for longer. But still a one-trick pony, like a lot of Mark's guitars. I wonder how many people are rush-selling their entire collections of guitars inspired by MK in order to acquire enough money for "the real deal".
I disagree that the Tele is more iconic. The LP was used on two of his most famous songs and at Live Aid as well as being used of the BIA world tour. It's the guitar that made that famous MFN riff!
Yes, my bad, probably. I'm just so much not into this at all...
Ok, this is the guitar, and? It's just like any other decent Les Paul out there with the exception it was owned by Mark Knopfler. If he buys an iPhone, it doesn't make this thing so much better suddenly. It's what you do with the damn thing that matters. I loved how one reviewer of a new crazy-fast Apple computer said something like "It won't help you become a better video editor and make better videos, you'll still be making bad videos... but faster".
I have no idea what's the best way to get rid of guitars used by famous people and on famous recordings, I guess there is no way except to auction them and hope for the best. In fact, it's the selling itself that transforms it from being an instrument to being a collector's item. I honestly thought these guitars were going to be a British Grove guitar park thing, like guitars you can use for recording or something, but Mark went the traditional way.
I wonder what he's going to do with his publishing, as everybody seems to agree artist's estate usually does a bad job of keeping the legacy alive.
