Few guitarists in modern rock history have shaped the sonic landscape of an entire era as profoundly as Johnny Marr. This September, Christie’s presents Marr’s Guitars: The Johnny Marr Collection, a landmark auction that offers an extraordinary window into the creative mind of one of music’s most celebrated innovators. For fans, collectors, and music aficionados around the world, the sale brings together approximately 80 guitars — each one a vessel of melody, memory, and artistic invention — alongside amplifiers and equipment that have helped define decades of popular music.
The Artist Behind the Collection
Johnny Marr first rose to international prominence as co-founder of The Smiths, the groundbreaking Manchester band whose jangly, layered guitar work redefined indie rock in the 1980s. But Marr’s career has never been confined to a single chapter. Over the decades, he has served as a member of The Pretenders, The The, Electronic, The Healers, Modest Mouse, and The Cribs — an extraordinary range that speaks to his restless musical intelligence.
His list of collaborations reads like a who’s who of contemporary music: Pet Shop Boys, Talking Heads, Bryan Ferry, Beck, Hans Zimmer, Oasis, Pearl Jam, Noel Gallagher, Billie Eilish, Blondie, Gorillaz, and Franz Ferdinand, among many others. Across indie, rock, pop, and film scoring, Marr has consistently brought a signature voice — melodic, inventive, emotionally resonant — that elevates every project he touches.
Christie’s auction is therefore far more than a sale of instruments. It is a chronicle of a living legend, a rare opportunity to hold something that was held by one of the defining guitar stylists of his generation.
Highlights from the Auction
The 1982 Rickenbacker 330 — The Sound of a Generation
Perhaps no instrument is more immediately associated with Johnny Marr’s identity than the 1982 Rickenbacker 330. Its chiming, layered tone became the sonic signature of The Smiths’ early recordings, instantly recognizable to anyone who has heard This Charming Man or How Soon Is Now?. For collectors, this guitar represents not just an instrument but an entire cultural moment — the rise of British alternative music in the early 1980s and the birth of a distinctly introspective, literate strain of rock.
The 1960 Gibson ES-355 — Heaven Knows
Among the most storied pieces in the collection is the 1960 Gibson ES-355, the guitar Marr used to write Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now, one of The Smiths’ most beloved singles. A semi-hollow archtop with a rich, warm resonance, the ES-355 was a sophisticated instrument for a sophisticated songwriter. The fact that this specific guitar was present at the creation of such an enduring song gives it an almost talismanic quality.
The Roger Giffin Custom ‘Tele’ — A Moment on National Television
One of the most visually distinctive pieces in the sale is the one-of-a-kind Roger Giffin Custom ‘Tele’, famously played on Top of the Pops in May 1984. At a time when Top of the Pops was the UK’s most-watched music programme, Marr’s performance with this custom instrument was seen by millions. As a unique, hand-built guitar linked to a specific televised cultural moment, it occupies a singular place in the history of British popular music.
The 1971 Martin D-28 — The Acoustic Foundation
While Marr is best known for his electric work, the 1971 Martin D-28 reveals another dimension of his artistry. This was his principal six-string acoustic during The Smiths’ heyday, used in the writing and recording process that underpinned some of the most celebrated songs of the decade. The Martin D-28 is widely regarded as one of the finest steel-string acoustics ever made, and this particular example carries the additional weight of its association with a crucial period in Marr’s creative life.
The 1984 Gibson Les Paul Standard — The Most-Recorded Guitar
Of all the instruments in the collection, the 1984 Gibson Les Paul Standard holds perhaps the most remarkable distinction: Marr himself cites it as the guitar used on more recordings than any other in his possession. The Les Paul Standard’s combination of sustain, warmth, and tonal versatility made it an ideal tool for a musician who worked across such a wide variety of styles and settings. This guitar has quietly shaped more music than most players will record in a lifetime.
The 2018 Fender Johnny Marr Signature Jaguar — Bond and Beyond
The collection’s most recent highlight carries perhaps the most glamorous provenance. The 2018 Fender Johnny Marr Signature Jaguar was used 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 title song performed by Billie Eilish. The convergence of Marr’s signature instrument, a Zimmer score, and an Eilish vocal on one of cinema’s most iconic franchises represents a remarkable moment — and this guitar was at the center of it.
Why This Auction Matters
Musician-owned guitars carry a different kind of value from standard vintage instruments. They are not merely examples of fine lutherie or rare manufacture; they are evidence of creative decisions made in real time, under real pressure, in pursuit of something worth remembering. Each guitar in the Marr collection has been part of that pursuit.
For the serious collector, the auction offers instruments spanning six decades of guitar manufacturing — from a 1960 Gibson archtop to a 2018 Fender signature model — covering a remarkable range of tonal character, historical significance, and cultural resonance. For the fan, these are objects that have existed in the same physical space as some of the most important music of the last forty years. For the music historian, the collection maps the evolution of one artist’s working relationship with his tools across an extraordinary career.
Johnny Marr’s guitars are, in a very real sense, the autobiography of a musician who has never stopped searching for the next sound. Christie’s Marr’s Guitars: The Johnny Marr Collection is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to own a piece of that search.
Marr’s Guitars: The Johnny Marr Collection is presented by Christie’s. For full details, bidding information, and catalogue listings, visit christies.com.