We can add more songs to compare guitars.
There are certain song that have never been played with other guitar than the one played in studio.
Almost all songs that have been played only on the tour next to the album release, have been played on the same guitar as in studio :
- Lady writer, Southbound again, Eastbound train, Follow me home
(although played on both strats, but we can say it was the “same strat”)
http://www.mk-guitar.com/2008/08/12/early-dire-straits-when-was-which-of-the-two-red-fenders-used/- Six blade knife if we except the only time in Split 85
- Skeateway : all versions played on the red schecter strat
- Industrial disease : all versions played on the Erlewine
- Love over gold : all versions played on acoustic Gibson CA
- The man’s too strong : acoustic part played with pick on Ovation Adamas both in studio and live, although the National slide part wasn’t played live of course
- Fade to black : both studio and live versions played on the Gibson Super 400
- Heavy Fuel : both studio and live versions played on the Pensa MKI
The thread title is about “DS songs” but we can also list solo songs :
- Darling Pretty, Imelda, No can Do, Rüdiger, Speedway At Nazareth, Junkie Doll, Hill Farmer blues: all songs played both studio and live on the 58 LP (and first part of speedway on martin in 2001)
- I’m the fool : both studio and live versions played on the 54 strat
- Done with Bonaparte : both studio and live versions played on the national (although the studio lead part on strat has never been played live)
- Gravy train : both studio and live versions played on the pensa MKI
- Vic and Ray: both studio and live versions played on the black pensa
- Golden heart : hard to say. the studio version could be the pensa like live, but the official video clip shows the red schecter strat
- Wag the dog : both studio and live versions played on the ES335 (rhythm part)
- Why aye man : not sure. I think there have been different LP in 2005 and 2008 ?
- Boom like that : both studio and live versions played on the Danelectro silvertone, although the lead part was played on the 58 LP in studio
- Let it all go : was the song played on the white strat like live ? we will never know for sure, but the fact that he used this particular guitar for the song live could be a clue
EDIT : I found it again. the studio version was played on the 54 "jurassic" strat- Redbud tree : both studio and live versions played on the sig strat
I might have forgotten some…
As for NHBs song, I think that all songs have been played on different guitars between 90 and 99
And the National used on recent tours (since 2008 if memory serves) is a reissue, not the original one, so actually a "different" guitar from the one used in studio