Over 120 of Knopfler’s guitars and amplifiers were sold, with a quarter of the revenues donated to charitable organizations.
Knopfler’s 1959 Vintage Gibson Les Paul Standard, which sold for £693,000 and set a new global auction record for the model, was the star of the show.
The musician described the auction as “an amazing journey.”
“I am so pleased that these much-loved instruments will find new players and new songs as well as raising money for charities that mean a lot to me,” he said.
“Seeing how much these guitars mean to so many people has warmed my heart, and I’m happy that the songs we’ve recorded together over the years will continue to make many happy.”
“To you fellow players, enthusiasts and collectors, I wish you all good things.”
61 countries sent bidders and buyers to the London auction, where a final total of £8,840,160, including buyer’s premium, was verified.
Knopfler’s 1988 Pensa-Suhr MK-1, which he played at Nelson Mandela’s 70th birthday memorial event at Wembley Stadium, sold for £504,000, against an estimate of barely £8,000.
The Red Schecter Telecaster, which Knopfler purchased in 1984 in order to record the popular Dire Straits song “Walk Of Life,” brought in a substantial sum of money beyond the £6,000 estimate when it was sold.
Dire Straits rose to stardom in the mid-1980s with their hit song “Money for Nothing,” a parody of rock excess during the MTV era.
The collection features pieces from Knopfler’s entire 50-year career and was placed up for auction at Christie’s in London on Wednesday.
