This September, Christie’s presents Marr’s Guitars: The Johnny Marr Collection, shining a spotlight on the pioneering sound and influence of multi-award-winning music icon Johnny Marr.

Since co-founding the groundbreaking 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, the auction features around 80 guitars — each imbued with songs, stories and emotions — alongside amps and equipment, and will chronicle the career of an artist who is widely recognised as a true genius of his generation.

Highlights include the 1982 Rickenbacker 330 synonymous with Marr and The Smiths’ early sound; the 1960 Gibson ES‑355 used to write ‘Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now’; the one‑of‑a‑kind Roger Giffin Custom ‘Tele’ famously played on Top of the Pops in May 1984; the 1971 Martin D‑28, Marr’s principal six‑string acoustic during The Smiths’ heyday; the 1984 Gibson Les Paul Standard, which Marr cites as being used on more recordings than any other guitar in his collection; and the 2018 Fender Johnny Marr Signature Jaguar 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 theme song with Billie Eilish.