24 Comments »

1. 

   On Prairie wedding he usually played with his 54 telecaster. Due to the hum coming from its PU, in a show (cannot remember which one) he used the Pensa Mk2, I think the new one that Rudy gave him during 2005 tour.

   Comment by Alessandro — 12. May 2010 @ 15:14

2. 

   Remembarance Day and Coyote: definitely a Les Paul, would say his trusty ’58. Judging from pics from the US tour, I think he mostly used his ’58 (it’s more faded as the others).

   Looking forward to see Mark and his band in Amsterdam!!

   Comment by Anonymous — 12. May 2010 @ 16:51

3. 

   You are right, I think, I checked some pics again, seems to be the ’58 (will change this in the article, too)

   Comment by Ingo — 12. May 2010 @ 18:35

4. 

   Sorry, forgot to fill in my name and sofort.

   I read somewhere on Guy Fletcher’s blog that the ’58 is the ‘favourite’ guitar. I remember that when I went to see Knopfler at one of his shows in 2008, he had this really faded Les Paul (the ’58) and one which he used on a couple of songs, a rather shiny one with much a more pronounced flamed sunburst, which quite frankly sounded a bit different, thicker and darker… even a friend of mine, which isn’t a guitarist said it sounded different. I think it is the same guitar he plays on ‘Song For Sonny Liston’ on the 2005 DVD with Emmylou Harris. I think that during each show, Mark switches between the two. Too bad I haven’t seen some good videos from the new tour so far, seems like the rules concerning camera’s are becoming heavier…

   However, I really like it that Knopfler takes his precious guitars on the road!

   Comment by Emiel — 12. May 2010 @ 22:47

5. 

   Yes, the ’58 is used more. You are right, the ’59 has more red and more flame, in 2008 it was used e.g. on Why Aye Man & Sonny Liston.

   I am not sure if Mark has as many valuable guitars on this tour as on previous tours. This idea came up when I saw him playing So far away on a MK signature Strat instead of the ’54, so possibly he left some (’54 Strat, ’54 Tele, ’59 Les Paul??) at home.

   Comment by Ingo — 13. May 2010 @ 09:09

6. 

   I meanwhile checked some more videos of Si far away and it is the ’54, so forget about the last comment.

   It was this video which made me think it was the MK signature Strat, looks like a red Strat but the quality is bad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jeILetH1c8

   Comment by Ingo — 13. May 2010 @ 09:27

7. 

   Guess he sometimes switches between guitars? I’m seeing Knopfler at the 30th of June, I will persuade a friend to make pictures of all the guitars etc. Without flash of course.:)

   p.s. Ingo, is it me or are they playing the songs more like the originals? Too bad they don’t do Rudiger!

   Cheers.

   Comment by Emiel — 13. May 2010 @ 11:14

8. 

   Hi Ingo, just a little addition: The red strat for Border Reiver seems to be tuned to Eb. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIO9MMWCogY from 2:00.

   Isaac also noticed that in his blog: http://gl.isaac.shabtay.com/2010/04/concert-day-hult-centre-for-performing.html

   Comment by akmoscow — 13. May 2010 @ 11:42

9. 

   Thanks for your comment, you are right with Border Reiver, I added this to the article text.

   Comment by Ingo — 13. May 2010 @ 12:37

10. 

    Thanks for such interesting information! 1 question: do you know what kind of pickups are installed in Mark’s “Telegraph” Pensa?

    Comment by AlexRUS — 13. May 2010 @ 15:56

11. 

    I think they are Lindy Fralins or Texas Special but I am not sure.

    Comment by TheWizzard29 — 13. May 2010 @ 16:10

12. 

    Yeah, I’ve read somewhere that they are Lindy Fralin Blues Specials or Real 54′s. It will be intersting to hear Ingo’s professional opinion on this question

    Comment by Anonymous — 14. May 2010 @ 12:00

13. 

    I don’t know more about the exact PU model. Alex quoted an answer from Rudy’s Music Stop in Guy’s forum recently:

    The pickups we use in the thought MK 2 are custom made for us by Lindy fralin. You will not find the model In Their catalog. So, to Be helpful, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. Mark MK2 Has more than one guitar. We’re not sure Which one is he using on the current tour

    Comment by Ingo — 15. May 2010 @ 08:28

14. 

    Marks using the pensa mk2 plus for TR (since 2005) which has Lindy Fralin Custom pickups.

    Comment by Dermot O'Reilly — 27. May 2010 @ 12:14

15. 

    Actually he used his mk2 plus since Milan (Italy) date in 2005 on TR. But on 2008 and current 2010 tour he uses the “standard” mk2. You can clearly see it by the lack of the white binding. I think he used the mk2 plus only one time douring this tour on prairie wedding, due to the hum coming from his 54 telecaster on that particular venue.

    Comment by Alessandro — 27. May 2010 @ 21:42

16. 

    Hey,

    due to So Far Away: When you take a look at the Manchester gig you can see that he plays a red Strat (maybe a MK Signature Strat or the one like on the Phil Cunningham interview which hasn’t got a signature of Mark).

    Comment by TheWizzard29 — 27. May 2010 @ 22:00

17. 

    Alessandro I stand corrected and me sitting front row and all .. deary me must have been looking at the chicks

    Comment by Dermot O'Reilly — 1. June 2010 @ 16:58

18. 

    I can clarify a bit…

    He’s been using up to 4 red strats in one concert. I was at the manchester gig where he played a red MK signature on So Far Away (think there are hum problems with the ’54).

    For Border Reiver he uses an MK Sig tuned to Eb, this is then changed for What it Is and Sailing to Philadelphia for a standard tuned MK Sig.

    For the end of Romeo, and Sultans, an MK Sig with light (.009) strings is used.

    The fourth MK Sig comes out for So Far Away if necessary, with a tremolo arm attached.

    Comment by Chris — 8. June 2010 @ 12:13

19. 

    Just came home from the first gig in Amsterdam. He only used one Les Paul, the gorgeous ’58 of course (very faded with a few flames here and there). Pensa for the outro solo of Telegraph Road. His Signature Strat for all the others… Border Reiver, What It Is, Sailing, Sultans, Romeo and Juliet, So Far Away. The newish Don Grosh guitar for Piper on The End and a rather new looking Telecaster for Prairie Wedding.

    P.s. compared to the 2008 gig.. I found the band’s playing a bit dull… I spoke to some people and everyone said ‘yes… he’s getting old’. The fingers don’t go as fast as they used to be\.. and they lowered the tempo even more on quite a few songs compared… Knopfler’s voice was surprisingly good though and he did look healthier. After all it was a good concert and I’m really happy to have seen him for the second time

    Comment by Emiel — 29. June 2010 @ 01:45

20. 

    hallo,

    I went to Mark last monday in Amsterdam. Offcourse he is not as fast as he used to be but give the man a break. He is allready 60 years old and he still knows how to play brilliant. I really enjoyed monday and i just love his les paul sound on coyote . I do not hope that people are going to be TO critical against Mark and the band like the news paper is,it doesn’t matter if he is a bit slower or that he plays while sitting on a seat. Just go there, listen and enjoy because he is still Mark Knopfler and the fact that he is still capable of getting three sold-out gigs at the Heineken Music Hall, ahh well… just respect him

    Comment by Danny — 1. July 2010 @ 02:13

21. 

    I’m 30 years old and if I had to play every day about total 60 concerts I had played them on a bed.. And if I were 60 years old I had played them from the hospital.. So hi is strong man. I’m glad for that….

    Comment by Jim — 19. July 2010 @ 23:20

22. 

    just some thoughts about the gig in Lyon :

    - Although I was pretty close, I was not able to verify if the National used was the orignial one or not.

    - during the outro of Coyote, he played a lick from 3on Broadwasy” like he ued to do in Calling Elvis some years ago. I read somewhere that he played also licks from MFN, but I can’t recall.

    - he played ole ole just before Sultans !

    - At the end of Sultans, he played like on the studio version : the end fast lick jsut after the “descending” scale, without the few bars he played since the single pathways version ! He did this way in sept 09 at the prince trust. I don’t kniw of he did this in 2008.
    It seems he wants to go back to “original” sound of Sultans, although he played some licks from Alchemy.

    - Telegraph road was of course on pensa, but I remember in Lyon05.04.2005, he played it on the sig strat (I understodd it only the next day, during concert i Thought it was the original 61 !) bevause he git the pensa only in june 2005 I guess (in Italy if memory serves).
    I found a bit shame that the first solo was a bit flat : it lacks some lead instrument. I like the idea to keep the national until “..moving slow”, but in 91-92, the sax tokk the lead part, and I found it very nice. Here, it could have been a flute, rather than 2 strings instruments (cittern and mandolin). And I dindn’tlike Richard’s licks during the first part of the song, nor his licks at the end of Romeo.

    I enjoyed very much the first part of the gig, till Marbletown. But from Speedway to last song, I found its’the same thing since 2001 ! (apart from Piper of course)

    Comment by Jean-François — 26. July 2010 @ 13:43

23. 

    A question about the Don Grosh : the PU looks like P90 or am I wrong ?

    Comment by Jean-François — 26. July 2010 @ 15:31

24. 

    Yes, P90s

    Comment by Ingo — 29. July 2010 @ 11:33

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