Fender Mark Knopfler Red Strat

[Diminished Triad]

Does anyone know the story behind the dispute between Fender and Mark Knopfler resulting in Fender no longer making/selling the Mark Knopfler tribute/signature strat?
Any realistic chance this may again be offered?
Still hoping to buy a new or used one in mint condition.
Thanks!

 

[jmh151]

Re: Fender Mark Knopfler Red Strat

Does anyone know the story behind the dispute between Fender and Mark Knopfler resulting in Fender no longer making/selling the Mark Knopfler tribute/signature strat?
Any realistic chance this may again be offered?
Still hoping to buy a new or used one in mint condition.
Thanks!

Mark's been endorser for Pensa Guitars for years, since the 80's, though he does have an extensive guitar collection. I presume the Fender model was a limited edition for nostalgia purposes since he used that guitar on Sultans of Swing and the earlier records (a Les Paul on Money for Nothing) until he started using Pensa guitars. He's still with Pensa guitars.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Fender Mark Knopfler Red Strat

I don't know of any dispute. I think they just stopped making them for whatever business reason(s) they had. They discontinue signature guitars all the time (Ritchie Sambora, Billy Corgan, Bonnie Raitt).

Plus, MK was only really known for playing a "proper" Fender Strat for the first couple of albums. By the time Making Movies was being recorded he'd moved on to those really cool Schecter "Strats", and that carried over into Love Over Gold as well. Brothers In Arms was recorded with a few different guitars (including the burst from the video), and he got the sig Pensa - which he still uses a lot - during the tour for that album. The solo stuff is a total mixed bag of everything listed so far and more. So really, there isn't such a thing as one guitar that he's particularly known for, unless you want to nail it down to a specific era.

 

[Diminished Triad]

Re: Fender Mark Knopfler Red Strat

Thanks for sharing, have seen him with a few including a red tele but guessed the red strat was his main guitar.
Will check out Pensa guitars. I still wished I had gotten his red strat last year!

 

[JeffB]

Re: Fender Mark Knopfler Red Strat

I have GASed for that Red Knopfler sig for a few years. Great feature set and color.

 

[LReese]

Re: Fender Mark Knopfler Red Strat

You can also order a copy of the MK1 from Suhr. John Suhr was the person who built the original Pensas.

 

[Diminished Triad]

Re: Fender Mark Knopfler Red Strat

You can also order a copy of the MK1 from Suhr. John Suhr was the person who built the original Pensas.

I see they offer an MK1 and an MK2......one has a humbucker in the bridge position and the other has all single coil pickups. Have watched many of Mark Knopfler's video's with Dire Straits and he's used each on Sultans of Swing (red strat, MK1, and MK2). Great info, thanks... I guess a related question is what 3 pickups will best replicate the Dire Straits/Knopfler tone/sound? If had to pick just one of their songs it would be Sultans of Swing, but also play Money for Nothing all the time!

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Fender Mark Knopfler Red Strat

Little known fact...

The last Fender Stratocaster that I've heard Seymour W. Duncan added to his sweet collection was a red Mark Knopfler signature strat. Considering the strats that have gone through Seymour's hands, that's a pretty big endorsement.

 

[Diminished Triad]

Re: Fender Mark Knopfler Red Strat

I looked into the MK1 and MK2 Knopfler guitars and while they might be worth it all, there is a huge difference in price between the Fender strat and those models. I did though ask for a price quote for a 7.25 radius neck so I'm not sure if without this request these guitars might not be considered "custom" and go for much lower. As it stands, they go for about 5 times what the Knopfler Fender was retailing for.....just to start. Still looking for the red strat!

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Fender Mark Knopfler Red Strat

Guitar companies dont give money for nothin and endorsements aint free....

 

[Diminished Triad]

Re: Fender Mark Knopfler Red Strat

Guitar companies dont give money for nothin and endorsements aint free....

Good one! Guess I had no idea that those guitars (MK1 and MK2) start at over 7k, when the initial Fender Knopfler tribute/signature guitar retailed for around $1500, sometimes less.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Fender Mark Knopfler Red Strat

Suhrs are incredible guitars, and you pay big $$ to get the handcrafted quality.

An alder strat with late 50's/early 60's spec pickups will be damn close.

 

[Diminished Triad]

Re: Fender Mark Knopfler Red Strat

Yeah, the Fender Vintage Hot Rod 50's Stratocaster (fiesta red) may come close. It's not a pure 7.25 radius (it's compound) and doesn't have Knopfler's last fret board version.....but the rest don't look too far off.
http://www.fender.com/en-GU/series/...0s-stratocaster-maple-fingerboard-fiesta-red/