Two Johnny Marr Guitars Sell for Over 650,000 Euros at Auction

Two iconic guitars belonging to former The Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr sold at a London auction on September 17, 2026, fetching more than 654.000 euros according to reports from Christie’s.

A 1982 Rickenbacker Shatters Pre-Sale Estimates

The top-selling instrument of the auction was a 1982 Rickenbacker 330 Jetglo, an axe utilized during the earliest recording sessions for The Smiths. According to Christie’s, the guitar sold for 358.400 livres, which translates to approximately 416.000 euros.

The final sale price surpassed four times its original pre-sale estimation following a fierce bidding war that lasted more than five minutes on the auction floor.

The Gibson ES-355 Cherry and the Story Behind It

Another guitar of the auction was a Gibson ES-355 Cherry, which also commanded interest from bidders. The instrument sold for 204.800 livres, equal to roughly 238.000 euros, clearing its initial pre-sale estimate range of 100.000 to 150.000 livres.

Seymour Stein, the producer and founder of Sire Records, originally gifted the guitar to Johnny Marr to entice The Smiths into signing with his label. Marr used the instrument to compose the opening notes of the hit “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now”.

Inside The Johnny Marr Collection

Titled The Johnny Marr collection, the auction event featured approximately 80 guitars spanning the musician’s career of more than four decades. Beyond the instruments, the catalog included concert posters, gold and platinum records, and a collection of harmonicas.

Marr previously explained to the BBC that the decision to separate from his collection stemmed from writing his 2023 book, Marr’s Guitars.

The realization of this book gave me an excuse to pull all the guitars out, photograph them, and take them to a few events. When that period came to an end, the idea of simply putting them all back into storage felt really strange.

Johnny Marr

Marr added that he disliked the prospect of his studio turning into a museum. As the auction progressed through its 111 total lots, buyers competed for pieces of rock history rooted in Marr’s foundational years co-founding The Smiths with singer Morrissey in 1982, as well as his subsequent collaborations with acts like The Pretenders, Talking Heads, Bryan Ferry, and Oasis.