The Rare 12-String Guitar Mark Knopfler Borrowed for Five Decades Is Now Up for Auction
A Guitar with a Long Story
A red Baldwin Burns Double Six solid electric 12-string guitar, once borrowed by Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler in the mid-1970s, is heading to auction. The instrument was originally lent to him by his friend Jeff Sadler, a fellow guitarist who played in several Northeast England bands, including the folk-rock group Lindisfarne. Knopfler held on to the guitar for more than five decades before it finally made its way back to Sadler.
The Double Six played an important role in Knopfler’s music. He used it both on stage and in the studio, most famously on Dire Straits’ second album Communiqué in 1979. The guitar can be heard on tracks such as Angel of Mercy and Portobello Belle. Knopfler also played it at the Prince’s Trust concert at Wembley Arena in 1986, further cementing its place in the band’s history.
Withdrawn and Returned
The instrument was originally listed in last year’s Mark Knopfler Guitar Collection Sale at Christie’s, an event that raised over $11 million. Among the highlights of that sale was a 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard, which sold for £693,000, or about $876,000, setting a record. However, the Baldwin Burns Double Six was withdrawn before the auction began and was later returned to its first owner, Jeff Sadler.
Now, it is being offered again, this time through Gardiner Houlgate’s September auction. The sale will also feature a 1957 Gretsch Chet Atkins 6120 that once belonged to Jimmy Page. The Double Six is expected to sell for more than $40,000, drawing strong interest from collectors.
Auctioneer’s View
Luke Hobbs, auctioneer at Gardiner Houlgate, spoke about the instrument’s importance. “Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits had a huge influence on music and guitar players not just in the 1980s and ’90s, but through today. I’m confident that this guitar will attract a lot of attention from fans and collectors alike – particularly as it has such a great story behind it.”
The auction is scheduled for September 9.
