Schecter Dream Machine sunburst 1980 – the replacement

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Facts

Manufacturer:Schecter
Model:Dream Machine (upgraded Stratocaster copy)
Year:1980
Serial No.:S8001
Colour:two-tone sunburst
Woods:one-piece ash (birch? alder?) body / birds-eye one-piece maple neck with 6110 frets
Pickups:Schecter F500T
Strings:possibly 09 (Fender Extra lights ?)
First seen with MK:1980, recording of Making Movies
Still in MK’s possession/Last seen:no – given to charity in 2004 (Clapton’s “Crossroads Guitar Auction” run by Christie’s/New York)

Info

Info: This guitar was bought to replace the stolen sunburst Schecter Strat used for the recording of Tunnel of Love. Just like the stolen one, it is a Schecter Dream Machine with a highly figured birds-eye maple neck and a Schecter F400 pickguard. Some optical difference between both these sunburst Strats: the replacement has no dot markers, the output jack is on the side (Telecaster style), and the body wood is plain instead of flamed.

This guitar was played on stage on Tunnel of Love (1980 – 1986), Telegraph Road (1982/83), or Where do you think you’re going (1980/81), and of course on many recording sessions.

In the late 90ies Mark borrowed the guitar to Jeff Sadler. This is what years ago a member of his band told  me:

I was looking at your site because I am in a band with Jeff Sadler, old school friend and ex band mate of Mark’s. They learned to play together have very similar styles and are still in regular touch today. As a result, Jeff from time to time borrows bits of Mark’s gear and i get to use it although I have never met Mark myself. Last night I played a very old (possibly 50’s?) Gibson J45 belonging to Mark. We have borrowed it for an acoustic recording we are starting tonight and it sounds and plays beautifuly. I was just looking for any information on it when I came accross your site. Also, Jeff’s main guitar is the sunburst Schecter strat with gold pickguard pictured on your site. He borrowed it from Mark so long ago he is no longer sure if he should give it back?!. But he treasures it above all of his other guitars and has done many gigs and all his recording with it. It sounds pretty good, but is perhaps a little generic sounding for my tastes. Plus Jeff is always f*cking up because it has no position markers! Thought you might be interested… Regards

In 2004 Mark donated this guitar to Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Auction run by Christie’s in New York where it was sold for over $ 50,000, becoming probably the most expensive Schecter guitar.

Pictures

Pictures

picture from 2012 (click to enlarge), with courtesy of guitarmotel.net
2004 – Picture from the Crossroads auction (click to enlarge)
1985

Reader picture gallery

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9 thoughts on “Schecter Dream Machine sunburst 1980 – the replacement

  1. Other songs played with it in 1985-1986 :
    Ride across the river (first leg of the tour)
    Romeo & Juliet outro

    I’d say that it never rains could have been played on this one in 1982, but of course can’t be sure.

    To me, it looks like this guitar was the one choosed for dark-epic-lyric tones (TR, TOL, RATR…), a little bit in Gilmour’s mood
    And after 1988, it was “replaced” by the Pensa (which isn’t my cup of tea)

    I find it looks gorgeous, and its sound on TR-Alchemy is one of my fav tones

    1. No, this is a misunderstanding, it is not for sale. It is an item sold by the shop in the past (at least the shop was involved in some way as the guitar was auctioned at Christie’s as we know)

  2. On the Borthers In Arms tour, on Going home, Local Hero at Wembly 1985. You could see Jack Sonni playing this guitar.

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