“He reached under the sofa and pulled out this dusty old case. And he says, ‘Mark, I want you to have this guitar. I don’t play it anymore’”: Mark Knopfler on the treasured Gibson he received as a gift from a rock hero – which became his studio go-to

Mark Knopfler performs on stage at Mediolanum Forum on May 10, 2019 in Milan, Italy.

Brothers in Arms is indisputably one of the hallmarks of Mark Knopfler’s (and, by extension, Dire Straits’) career.

In 2024, the guitarist parted ways with 120 of his prized instruments – many of which were central to the creation of Brothers in Arms, such as the red Schecter Tele-type used on Walk of Life – at a charity auction that fetched over $11 million. Yet, there are still some real treasures left in his collection.