Noel Gallagher says Johnny Marr has 'always been gung-ho' with his guitars

Noel Gallagher has said singer Johnny Marr has "always been a bit gung-ho" with his guitars.

Marr, 62, is to auction almost 100 of his guitars, including one he once sent to Oasis that left Gallagher worried it could be damaged

The Smiths musician said he was letting go of his guitars because "I didn't like the idea of my studio space becoming a museum".

The collection is on display in London before going under the hammer at Christie's on 17 September.

"You've always been a bit gung-ho with your guitars," Gallagher said, reminiscing about borrowing the instrument - a black 1982 Rickenbacker 330 Jetglo - to appear on the cover of Oasis' 1994 debut single Supersonic.

Gallagher added: "I remember the day when Oasis was recording Definitely Maybe for the first time and you sent down some guitars, because we had one guitar each.

"Someone took it out and just put it on the floor so it would look like we were a working band. It's on the cover of Supersonic.

"I remember looking at it on the floor going, 'that can not be The Smiths' guitar, there's no way he's sent that down here to a load of geezers from Longsight'.

"I was like 'you better take that back, mate' - what if someone stands on it."

As well as This Charming Man, the guitar was used by Marr to write The Smiths hit What Difference Does It Make and is expected to sell for up to £80,000.

The Manchester-born stars revisited the collection in a video released by Christie's ahead of the sale.

The sale also includes a 1960 Cherry Red Gibson ES-355, given to Marr by music mogul Seymour Stein as an incentive for The Smiths to sign to his label, Sire Records.

The first song Smith played on it was the classic indie anthem Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now.

Looking at the guitar, Marr said many people still associated him most closely with the Rickenbacker, and said he thought most people associated Gallagher with a red Gibson.

Gallagher replied: "I got mine [red Gibson] because of seeing you on Top of the Pops.

"Those, to me, are the best guitars ever made."

About 80 guitars are included in the auction, alongside amplifiers, gold and silver records, posters, memorabilia and a collection of harmonicas.

Among the highlights are:

• Green burst Telecaster (1984): A gift from Marr's wife, known for its appearance on BBC's Top of the Pops in May 1984, when The Smiths performed Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now.
• Martin D -28 (1971): A 12-string acoustic on which Marr wrote and recorded Smiths; classics like There Is a Light That Never Goes Out, Well I Wonder and Cemetry Gates.
• Cherry Gibson Les Paul Standard (1984): Acquired for The Smiths' second album Meat Is Murder, this was the last guitar Marr played on stage with the band. New Order's Bernard Sumner borrowed it to record Regret; and Marr played it again on The Gorillaz' latest album, The Mountain.
• Fender Johnny Marr Signature Jaguar, Comet Sparkle (2017): One of the custom Fender guitars Marr designed in 2012, played on his 2018 tour and used to record the Billie Eilish Bond theme, No Time To Die.

The guitars are listed with estimates between £1,000 and £150,000.

Marr will donate the full hammer price from 31 lots to The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association and The National Autistic Society.

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