The music legend, now 76, frequently used this guitar in the studio and on stage during major performances
A striking red guitar with a fascinating back story is going up for auction and is set to fetch a hefty sum. The Baldwin Burns Double Six solid electric 12-string instrument was lent to a British rock icon and reportedly not returned for 50 years.
According to auctioneers at Gardiner Houlgate, the borrower in question was Mark Knopfler, the lead guitarist and singer of Dire Straits. The music legend is said to have borrowed this from old Gosforth friend Jeff Sadler, who played guitar for several bands in the northeast, including Brethren, which went on to become Lindisfarne.
Knopfler, now 76, frequently used this guitar behind-the-scenes and on stage, including during Dire Straits’ globally successful album, Communiqué (1979), and at the Prince’s Trust performance at Wembley Arena (1986).
Now, it’s expected to fetch as much as £30,000 in auction at Gardiner Houlgate in Corsham, Wiltshire, which is set to occur next week on Tuesday, September 9. In a statement, Luke Hobbs, auctioneer from Gardiner Houlgate, said: “Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits had a huge influence on music and guitar players not just in the 1980s and 90s, but through to today.
“I’m confident this guitar will attract a lot of attention from fans and collectors alike – particularly as it has such a great story behind it.”
Before embarking on his solo career, Mark Knopfler was the lead guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for Dire Straits from 1977 to 1995. Classic Rock magazine hailed them as ‘the biggest British rock band of the 80s,’ and Dire Straits achieved phenomenal success, selling over 100 million records worldwide.
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Despite 50 years in Knopfler’s possession, the Double Six guitar is still regarded as being in its ‘perfect original condition’. Initially listed for Christie’s Mark Knopfler Guitar Collection Sale, which raised £8.5 million, the instrument was withdrawn before the auction in 2024 and was returned to its original owner, Jeff Sadler.
The guitar is now set to be sold by Gardiner Houlgate, Wiltshire-based specialist music auctioneers, during their September auction, alongside a Gretsch guitar owned by Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page.
Jimmy Page’s guitar was initially donated as a prize more than half a century ago as part of a competition for the New Musical Express magazine. While the star originally purchased it for £200 in 1972, it is now expected to command between £30,000 and £50,000.
This auction will take place on September 9. Gardiner Houlgate is the only auction house in Europe to ‘hold dedicated stand-alone sales of guitars and related items’, selling more than 1,500 guitars annually through quarterly auctions.
The Double Six guitar will be available for public viewing on Friday, September 5, and Monday, September 8, from 9 am to 5.30 pm, and on the day of the sale. The auction will take place at Gardiner Houlgate, 9 Leafield Way, Corsham, Wiltshire, SN13 9SW on Tuesday, September 9.
For more information, head to Gardiner Houlgate’s website, here.
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