Collectors and charities stand to benefit after Johnny Marr has placed roughly 80 instruments, amplifiers, records and pieces of memorabilia into a Christie’s auction scheduled for 17 September. Marr said he did not want his studio to become a museum, adding, "I didn't like the idea of my studio space becoming a museum." He has opened the collection to public view in London ahead of the sale.
The catalogue includes items with clear provenance to well-known recordings and sessions. A black 1982 Rickenbacker 330 Jetglo that Marr once sent to Oasis, and that appears on the cover of the band's 1994 debut single Supersonic, carries an estimate of up to £80,000. Noel Gallagher recalled borrowing that Rickenbacker while Oasis recorded their debut album, and said, "You've always been a bit gung-ho with your guitars." He described seeing the guitar on the studio floor and worrying it would be damaged, saying, "you better take that back, mate - what if someone stands on it."
Other notable lots trace Marr's work with The Smiths and beyond. A 1960 Cherry Red Gibson ES-355, which Marr received from Seymour Stein ahead of a Sire Records signing, first featured on "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now." A 1971 Martin D-28 12-string acoustic that Marr used to write "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out", "Well I Wonder" and "Cemetery Gates" is included, alongside a Cherry Gibson Les Paul Standard from 1984 and a green burst Telecaster gifted by Marr's wife and seen on Top of the Pops in May 1984.
The sale range spans estimates from £1,000 to £150,000 and also lists modern signature pieces, for example a 2017 Fender Johnny Marr Signature Jaguar Comet Sparkle that Marr used on his 2018 tour and to record Billie Eilish's Bond theme "No Time To Die." Marr has pledged the full hammer price from 31 lots to The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association and The National Autistic Society, turning the dispersal of his instruments into a fundraising event as well as a market moment for collectors.
The public display in London gives fans and potential buyers a last look at instruments tied to landmark tracks, and the auction will create a recorded market price for many of these pieces when bids close at Christie’s on 17 September.
