Dire Straits star Mark Knopfler to auction Brothers In Arms guitars - BBC NEWS

[quizzaciously]

Did any of our Russian members bidding on the Babalaika?

 

I'll bet lots of fans will have been eyeing that up as one they can afford to bid on hence the final hammer price will be much higher than expected.

Hammer and sickle price you mean?

 

Missed gag opportunity there.

LOL. The balalaika was a gift from the "Shangri-La" casino in Moscow while they were still legal in Russia back in 2005, I can't believe how long ago it was.

I love the coincidence of the tour name and the casino name. And I'm pretty sure there was this badge on the headstock with the words "USSR" and Soviet seal of quality ( ) but at some point it was righteously erased from the headstock. I have no other idea why it has this black spot on the headstock.

As for bidding, sure I'd like to see a man who will bid on this. And ask him WHY...

[Mossguitar]

Great video that - thanks for posting.  One glaring error about using the '83 Les Paul for a decade though.  Don't remember seeing it after Sydney '86.

Didn’t he use it for You And Your Friend?

[JF]

Great video that - thanks for posting.  One glaring error about using the '83 Les Paul for a decade though.  Don't remember seeing it after Sydney '86.

Didn’t he use it for You And Your Friend?

yes indeed 

[border_reiver]

It was a lot to take in.

At the very top it must have been a yard sale. The Pensa MK1 and LP59 should have gone way higher.

[quizzaciously]

@SackJonni

What about your point? You answered your question. You said "I don't think you can say anything about Mark's popularity. Let alone prove anything."

I say — just compare it to other auctions and guitars being sold, and Mark is extremely humble at this, to say the least. Winners are lucky for such a bargain.

@hunter v2.0

GFY

[richardmu]

quick calculation is 8.8 million pounds / 10.3 million euro / 11.1 million USD. Not clear if this includes VAT which would be another 20%. Presume the prices listed on christies website are the auction price plus the christie fee but not VAT.

[quizzaciously]

quick calculation is 8.8 million pounds / 10.3 million euro / 11.1 million USD. Not clear if this includes VAT which would be another 20%. Presume the prices listed on christies website are the auction price plus the christie fee but not VAT.

Also, if you count in inflation, if we compare it to David's auction held in 2019, it drops it off by another 20%.

[ds1984]

I lost my bet

The iconic Les Paul from the 80's made it for GBP 592,200 and reached second behing the '59 

If only I had been a millionaire 

[dustyvalentino]

quick calculation is 8.8 million pounds / 10.3 million euro / 11.1 million USD. Not clear if this includes VAT which would be another 20%. Presume the prices listed on christies website are the auction price plus the christie fee but not VAT.

Also, if you count in inflation, if we compare it to David's auction held in 2019, it drops it off by another 20%.

Difficult to compare, as someone else noted, the economy is very different now.

In any case, it still doesn’t prove anything about his popularity vs DG. But it may prove something about their popularity amongst rich douchebags.

Plus DG sold everything and MK kept the best stuff.

Anyhoo, very very rough calculations but at a guess after charity and capital gains tax I would estimate MK is left with circa £3 million.

[Love Expresso]

I imagine him sitting in BG this afternoon together with Guy and a pocket calculator, in a bad mood.. 
 
LE

[holaknopfler]

I imagine him sitting in BG this afternoon together with Guy and a pocket calculator, in a bad mood.. 
 
LE

Can’t afford the new album now and the time in the studio 

[dustyvalentino]

I find it funny that a Fender Concert amp, used heavily in Dire Straits and quite rare and desirable in its own right, went for £17k, while some absolute crap went for more.

Some classic Gibsons went for Not that much (comparatively) as well.

[Rolleyway Man]

I find it funny that a Fender Concert amp, used heavily in Dire Straits and quite rare and desirable in its own right, went for £17k, while some absolute crap went for more.

Some classic Gibsons went for Not that much (comparatively) as well.

The biggest surprise for me was that an original 1960 ‘335 went for the same figure as a 2005 Historic ‘59 reissue (the one given to Mark by Gibson with a view to creating a signature model). It’s all a bit disproportionate! The Teisco Spectrum 5s were quite a revelation as well. I think one went for £30.

[dustyvalentino]

Yes.

I can understand the Sonny Liston one to be fair.

[ds1984]

In rock history, David Gilmour as of Pink Floyd is way bigger than Mark Knopfler's Dire Straits.