Celebrating the Guitar Genius of a Generation - Highlights will tour to New York from 25 June to 1 July ahead of the London auction on 17 September 2026
Several guitars were used on Johnny Marr’s new album The Age Of Everything
London – Celebrating the guitar genius of a generation, Christie’s will present Marr’s Guitars: The Johnny Marr Collection on 17 September 2026, in London. A landmark event, this auction will shine a spotlight on the pioneering sound, songwriting and influence of multi-award winning music icon Johnny Marr. Having co-founded the ground-breaking 1980s band The Smiths, Marr’s career has spanned multiple genres and collaborations alongside his solo career. He has been a member of The Pretenders, The The, Electronic, The Healers, Modest Mouse and The Cribs, and has collaborated with a roll call of greats across indie, rock, pop and film, including Pet Shop Boys, The Pretenders, Talking Heads, Bryan Ferry, The The, Beck, Hans Zimmer, Oasis, Pearl Jam, Noel Gallagher, Billie Eilish, Blondie, Gorillaz, and Franz Ferdinand. A dream opportunity for fans, collectors and music aficionados around the globe, this sale presents approximately 80 guitars – each imbued with songs, stories and emotions – alongside amps and equipment that have been integral to Marr’s extraordinarily wide-ranging career, to date.
Comprising around 95 lots in total, estimates range from £1,000 to £150,000. Johnny Marr will donate 100% of the hammer price of 10 lots to benefit The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association and The National Autistic Society (registered in England; charity number 209617 and charity number 269425 respectively). Highlights of the collection will be on public view in New York from 25 June to 1 July, before returning to Christie’s headquarters in London for the pre-sale exhibition – which is free and open to all – from 9 to 16 September.
Several guitars amongst Marr’s Guitars: The Johnny Marr Collection were most recently played during the recording of Johnny Marr's new album The Age Of Everything - announced last week and due for release on 2 October. A headline European tour will begin on 28 June, culminating with Johnny Marr's biggest ever solo headline show at London's OVO Arena Wembley on 24 October.
Johnny Marr: “I have loved guitars for as long as I can remember, since the first one I got at the age of five. Each guitar I have acquired over the past 50 years or so has helped me evolve as a musician, bringing new songs, new sounds and techniques. Writing Marr’s Guitars in 2023 gave me the perfect excuse to bring all of these instruments together, to tell their stories, revisit the songs, shows and unforgettable moments they’ve brought me, and that I’ve shared with remarkable people in studios and on stages around the world. The book turned out to be a cathartic experience and when it was time for these beautiful instruments to go back into storage, I couldn’t imagine them being put away and left unplayed. It’s bittersweet to be parting with these guitars but I want them to go to new homes and new people who will love them as much as I have. I hope they bring as much joy, inspiration and fun – and new songs – as they have given me.”
Amelia Walker, Christie’s Specialist Head of Private & Iconic Collections, London: “Christie’s is thrilled to be presenting Marr’s Guitars: The Johnny Marr Collection for sale this September. When Johnny Marr co-founded The Smiths at the age of 18, the music world had never before heard such a unique and melodic style of guitar playing, nor such original and fresh sounding songs. In an era of electronic music and new romanticism, Johnny Marr and The Smiths changed the face of modern guitar music and lit the touch-paper for the next generation of British guitarists that were to come. His far-reaching influence on countless guitar-driven bands such as Oasis, The Stone Roses, and Suede cannot be overstated. This auction will chronicle the career of an artist who is widely recognized as a true genius of his generation, and features guitars from The Smiths era, including Marr’s iconic Rickenbacker 330 and Cherry Gibson ES -355, all the way through to his Signature Fender Jaguars. These are the tools of a guitarist who continually strives to innovate, and whose unmistakable sound and music has inspired musicians and fans of all ages and walks of life from the early 1980s to today. We are delighted to be working with Johnny Marr to find new owners and new songs for these legendary instruments.”
Left to right: Johnny Marr, Jubilee Gardens, London, 10 June 1984 © PAUL RIDER / CAMERA PRESS; Johnny Marr in his studio © Christie's Images Ltd. 2026
Collection highlights
For many fans, the guitar most strongly associated with Johnny Marr’s melodic Smiths-era sound is his 1982 Rickenbacker 330 Jetglo (estimate: £60,000-80,000). Acquired in 1983 after Marr signed his first publishing deal, the Rickenbacker was used extensively during the recording of The Smiths’ eponymous debut album and served as Marr’s main guitar on the band’s early tours, its distinctive tones heard on the tracks ‘What Difference Does It Make?’, ‘This Charming Man’, ‘Still Ill’, and ‘Accept Yourself’. In 1994, the legendary Rickenbacker appeared on the cover of Oasis’ debut single ‘Supersonic’ after Marr lent the guitar to Noel Gallagher during early recording sessions for Definitely Maybe.
Leading the sale, the 1960 Cherry Red Gibson ES-355 (estimate: £ 100,000-150,000) was purchased for Marr on New York’s 48th Street in early 1984 by Sire Records founder Seymour Stein, after Marr joked that The Smiths would sign to the label if Stein bought him a new guitar. The 355 inspired Marr to write the music for The Smiths’ 1984 single ‘Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now’ and its B-side ‘Girl Afraid’ that same day. Marr’s memorable television appearances with this guitar on Top of the Pops and The Tube in the mid-1980s made a strong impression on the next generation of guitarists, with players like Noel Gallagher and Bernard Butler going on to wield their own red Gibson 355s.
Roger Giffin Korina 'Telecaster', green burst, circa 1984 (estimate: £ 20,000-30,000 ). A 1984 engagement gift from Marr’s wife Angie, this rare one-off ‘Telecaster’ style guitar with green bird’s eye maple top and brass hardware was built by renowned British luthier Roger Giffin. The distinctive guitar is best known for its appearance on BBC’s Top of the Pops in May 1984, when The Smiths performed their hit single ‘Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now’, and a February 1985 ‘in studio’ special on BBC’s The Old Grey Whistle Test which covered the recording of the band’s chart-topping second album Meat Is Murder. The unique sound of the Giffin ‘Telecaster’ can be heard on the album’s title track, ‘The Headmaster Ritual’ and ‘Nowhere Fast’.
Inspired by artists such as Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and Bert Jansch, Marr acquired his 1971 Martin D-28 (estimate: £30,000-50,000) in 1984 as part of a conscious effort to integrate acoustic depth into The Smiths’ sound. The D-28 served as Marr’s principal six-string acoustic guitar during the band’s heyday, used to write and record many of The Smiths’ best-loved songs, such as ‘There Is a Light That Never Goes Out’, ‘Well I Wonder’ and ‘Cemetry Gates’.
Gibson Les Paul Standard, Cherry, 1984 (estimate: £80,000-120,000). Acquired in Autumn 1984 for The Smiths’ second album Meat Is Murder, Marr’s 1984 Gibson Les Paul Standard can be heard on the album tracks ‘The Headmaster Ritual’, ‘That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore’ and ‘What She Said’. Modified with a Bigsby vibrato, Marr used the Les Paul on the band’s 1985 tour and returned to the instrument for the final song of The Smiths ’ last ever concert in December 1986. According to Marr, this guitar has been used on more records than any other, including with The The, The Cribs, and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, and is often responsible for his clean, ringing tone. Marr’s Electronic bandmate Bernard Sumner also borrowed the Les Paul to record the 1993 New Order hit single ‘Regret’ and its most recent appearance on the latest 2026 Gorillaz album The Mountain.
Fender Johnny Marr Signature Jaguar, Comet Sparkle, 2017 (estimate: £ 8,000-12,000). Since the release of the Johnny Marr Signature Jaguar in 2012, Fender has created a series of custom colours for the guitar. During the recording of Marr’s 2018 solo album Call The Comet, Fender developed this unique, one-of-a-kind ‘Comet Sparkle’ finish for his personal signature model, which Marr used throughout his 2018 live shows. Most famously, Marr used the ‘Comet Sparkle’ to record the ‘James Bond Theme’ on Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack for No Time To Die (2021), as well as the film’s Oscar-winning theme song with Billie Eilish.
For more information and to pre-order the catalogue please visit christies.com/johnnymarr
