Ten days ago we shared a post about Knopfler’s electric guitars. Today we want to share the second part of this story. Another 5 guitars which Mark used on all his tours alone and with Dire Straits, and some of these guitars are part of his art work.
As front-man of Dire Straits and solo artist, Mark sold over 120 million records worldwide and has won four Grammy Awards. He is ranked 27th on Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.
Down below are 5 electric guitars that Knopfler used in his long career.
1. 1960s Gibson SG Custom
Mark played with this guitar during the “Love Over Gold” tour in 1982 & 1983, and on the studio recording of the song “Two Young Lovers”. It is also possible that he used the guitar on some other songs from the ExtendedancEPlay EP. The model appears to be from early 60s, featuring white body finish, black “bat-wing” pickguard, and three pickups.
2. 1980 Schecter Stratocaster Red
This guitar was purchased sometime in early 80s at Rudy Music Stop in New York among couple of other more Schecters. At the time Mark was looking for a guitar to replace his 1962 Stratocaster, and apparently he was impressed with a Schecter guitar that his girlfriend owned at the time.
Mark’s red Schecter was originally equipped with three black Schecter F500T pickups, but it seems that after few months Mark had them replaced with Seymour Duncans with white plastic covers. There’s of course a possibility that he owned two different red Schecter at that time, one of which had the original black pickups.
This guitar was used from 1980 to around 1987 (seven years) when Mark switched to Pensa-Shur guitars, although he did pick it up occasionally in the 90s. It was seen at couple of most memorable Dire Straits concert, including Alchemy Live in 1983 and Live Aid in 1985.
3. 1980 Schecter Stratocaster Sunburst
This was Mark’s second most used Schecter during the 80s, there were actually two nearly identical sunburst Schecters, one of which was stolen in the early 80s, and the other one becoming its replacement.
Both guitars were finished in sunburst, and featured brass pickguard, one-piece maple neck, and three Schecter F500T pickups. The first Schecter which was stolen had dot inlays on the neck, and the jack socket was on the front of the body, while the second one had no inlays and the jack plate was on the side.
Mark used the first Schecter on Making Movies album in 1980 after which it was stolen, and he used the second one up until around 1986 next to his red Schecter main just for the song “Tunnel of Love”. He ended up selling that guitar at an auction in 2004 and donated all the profits to Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Centre in Antigua.
4. 1984 Schecter Telecaster
Mark bought this guitar in the 80s and first used it on the soundtrack album “Cal” released in 1984. After that he used it in the “Walk of Life” video, and kept using it from the point on while playing that same song live. Mark’s Schecter Telecaster features red finish with white plastic binding over the top edge of the body. The pickup in it are Schecter F500Ts, and the neck has no visible inlays. He still owns this guitar and plays it live occasionally.
5. 1983 Gibson Les Paul Standard
Mark used an 80s Les Paul Standard on the recording of Brothers in Arms album in 1985, which he bought from Rudy Pensa circa 1984.
“I could never afford to buy one from the “classic years,” so I got a reissue in the 70s, and I recorded things like “Brothers In Arms” and “Money for Nothing” with that one, and I toured with it.” – Mark Knopfler.
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