Fender 'Mark Knopfler' Signature Series Stratocaster (0117800-815) - Owners list

[All-the-numbers]

Hi, do you think this guitar announced to be available on request at Thomann could be an undercover reissue of the MK signature strat?
https://www.thomann.de/intl/fender_1961_strat_hot_rod_red_nos_417861.htm?sid=0305d006b0eae2eb97ee6a7bbca2da8e&ref=intl&shp=eyJjb3VudHJ5IjoiZ2IiLCJjdXJyZW5jeSI6MiwibGFuZ3VhZ2UiOjJ9&reload=1

Except for the 9,5" fretboard radius, the rest seems quite identical, even the hot rod red colour...

[quizzaciously]

Hi, do you think this guitar announced to be available on request at Thomann could be an undercover reissue of the MK signature strat?
https://www.thomann.de/intl/fender_1961_strat_hot_rod_red_nos_417861.htm?sid=0305d006b0eae2eb97ee6a7bbca2da8e&ref=intl&shp=eyJjb3VudHJ5IjoiZ2IiLCJjdXJyZW5jeSI6MiwibGFuZ3VhZ2UiOjJ9&reload=1

Except for the 9,5" fretboard radius, the rest seems quite identical, even the hot rod red colour...

Maybe this was built from the leftover parts judging by the NOS state of it, but I can't foresee it being related to Mark in any shape or form. Which brings me to this question... Why MK Signature strat was cancelled anyway? It was a pretty bold guitar to get along with, and so many signature guitars are still being produced. Gibson has stopped building Chet Atkins signature guitars after he died, but what happened with Mark?

[ds1984]

Why MK Signature strat was cancelled anyway? It was a pretty bold guitar to get along with, and so many signature guitars are still being produced. Gibson has stopped building Chet Atkins signature guitars after he died, but what happened with Mark?

I am wondering the same.

[Knopflerfan]

Why MK Signature strat was cancelled anyway? It was a pretty bold guitar to get along with, and so many signature guitars are still being produced. Gibson has stopped building Chet Atkins signature guitars after he died, but what happened with Mark?

I am wondering the same.

Got a feeling this question was asked yonks ago, and seemed to remember it was a money issue....

[quizzaciously]

Why MK Signature strat was cancelled anyway? It was a pretty bold guitar to get along with, and so many signature guitars are still being produced. Gibson has stopped building Chet Atkins signature guitars after he died, but what happened with Mark?

I am wondering the same.

Got a feeling this question was asked yonks ago, and seemed to remember it was a money issue....

I also remember something about this. I also remember reading that Mark helped some of his friends, not kind of friends you would give the guitar as a gift, but just mates, he helped to get his signature Strats with huge discounts.

My theory is that he wanted for it to stay at a reasonable price, but because of the premium specs it would only go up, so they decided to kill the line altogether. It's a crazy theory, but why not lol. And then he released a 15 grand Les Paul

[hunter]

Hi, do you think this guitar announced to be available on request at Thomann could be an undercover reissue of the MK signature strat?
https://www.thomann.de/intl/fender_1961_strat_hot_rod_red_nos_417861.htm?sid=0305d006b0eae2eb97ee6a7bbca2da8e&ref=intl&shp=eyJjb3VudHJ5IjoiZ2IiLCJjdXJyZW5jeSI6MiwibGFuZ3VhZ2UiOjJ9&reload=1

Except for the 9,5" fretboard radius, the rest seems quite identical, even the hot rod red colour...

4000 EUR for that guitar is total lunacy.

[Tomcaster]

From time to time the Custom Shop releases Hot Rod Red 1961 Strats that "mimic" the Knopfler features. This is exactly what I meant with the possibility to order a "better version" from the Custom Shop for the price just a little higher than a mint 2nd hand MK Sig.

The Thomann guitar is heavily overpriced. Here is a Custom Shop Hot Rod Red Strat for sale in Italy. It is very close to Knopfler Spec but in Journeyman Relic finish (which is actually more expensive for Fender!) for 3099 Euro
https://www.ginoguitars.com/en/fender-custom-1960-stratocaster-journeyman-relic-ag-hrr-p-1002.html

If you want to order from the Custom Shop, just send them the MK Specs and add the following features:
- handwound TX specials instead of machine wound
- rift sawn maple neck
- AAA rosewood fingerboard
- Time Capsule finish
- Jescar Medium Vintage Frets 47095

this will get you a guitar light years ahead of the Signature models at an estimated price of 3499-3699 Euro...

Here is the Custom Shop orderform: http://www.fmicassets.com/sites/fender.com/themes/img/customshop/2020/2020_Custom_Shop_Design_Guide_V2.pdf

[All-the-numbers]

Here is the Custom Shop orderform: http://www.fmicassets.com/sites/fender.com/themes/img/customshop/2020/2020_Custom_Shop_Design_Guide_V2.pdf

I am certainly not planning to order anything from the Custom Shop, but that Design Guide is a very interesting document, containning very good information (neck profiles, pickup characteristics, etc.). Thank you! 

[hunter]

I'm curious how much it would cost to spec out an identical guitar from Warmoth and have a luthier local to you put it together? Warmoth is not cheap, but the quality is really good.

[diremark86]

I'm curious how much it would cost to spec out an identical guitar from Warmoth and have a luthier local to you put it together? Warmoth is not cheap, but the quality is really good.

I can pretty much tell you exactly how much as I have recently done it for the schecter tele, and have a schecter strat clone at the luthier now. I ordered everything from warmoth and had a local luthier assemble and professionally set it up. Money WELL spent. The Walk of Life tele is actually the nicest playing electric I own now. The trick is the nitrocellulose finish for the strat. Warmoth doesn't offer it, so you would have to order the raw wood and take it to a luthier that will do that for you. Which mine will do, I actually had a nitrocellulose finish applied to the birdseye maple neck for the current project.

The Schecter hardware is a little more pricey to source due to the nature and availability of its components, but the MK Sig Strat clone could easily be done for $2k USD using all new pieces/hardware. I ordered the neck of the tele to be as close to the MK Sig strat specs as I could get. Not to the mm exact, but its a pretty nice substitute!!!   

[Jensen]

Hi, do you think this guitar announced to be available on request at Thomann could be an undercover reissue of the MK signature strat?
https://www.thomann.de/intl/fender_1961_strat_hot_rod_red_nos_417861.htm?sid=0305d006b0eae2eb97ee6a7bbca2da8e&ref=intl&shp=eyJjb3VudHJ5IjoiZ2IiLCJjdXJyZW5jeSI6MiwibGFuZ3VhZ2UiOjJ9&reload=1

Except for the 9,5" fretboard radius, the rest seems quite identical, even the hot rod red colour...

4000 EUR for that guitar is total lunacy.

Yes. Luckily I have learned to focus a lot more on the sound, feel and look of a guitar rather than the brand name on the headstock. It gives me the pleasure of having more guitars in different shapes and forms than I would be able to justify if they all had to be Gibson, Fender or whatever. If they sound, look and feel the part, then no one should be concerned about it. Or, at least, I am no longer. And it feels great to let go of all that.

[quizzaciously]

Hi, do you think this guitar announced to be available on request at Thomann could be an undercover reissue of the MK signature strat?
https://www.thomann.de/intl/fender_1961_strat_hot_rod_red_nos_417861.htm?sid=0305d006b0eae2eb97ee6a7bbca2da8e&ref=intl&shp=eyJjb3VudHJ5IjoiZ2IiLCJjdXJyZW5jeSI6MiwibGFuZ3VhZ2UiOjJ9&reload=1

Except for the 9,5" fretboard radius, the rest seems quite identical, even the hot rod red colour...

4000 EUR for that guitar is total lunacy.

Yes. Luckily I have learned to focus a lot more on the sound, feel and look of a guitar rather than the brand name on the headstock. It gives me the pleasure of having more guitars in different shapes and forms than I would be able to justify if they all had to be Gibson, Fender or whatever. If they sound, look and feel the part, then no one should be concerned about it. Or, at least, I am no longer. And it feels great to let go of all that.

I feel you, though it's really hard to make this psychological switch. It's not always about money, but to get all the guitars I want from brands I want would take like $30 grand, it's impossible. But the keyword is "justify", because I hate discussing someone else's money, it's their money and they can do whatever they want. What they do with their expensive guitars that's another question. I'm not a messiah, but having a luxury guitar just to strum a couple of songs or dabble in music like I do that would not justify it for me. So I'm happy with my cheap-ass Squiers that I play every day.

[hunter]

Well, let me just remind you of the amazing guitarist Jack Pearson (Nashville pro, once a member of Allman Brothers) who plays - yup - cheap-ass Squiers. And he doesn't modify them! (Maybe except for potentiometers, not sure.)

[quizzaciously]

Well, let me just remind you of the amazing guitarist Jack Pearson (Nashville pro, once a member of Allman Brothers) who plays - yup - cheap-ass Squiers. And he doesn't modify them! (Maybe except for potentiometers, not sure.)

Jack Pearson is a kind of guitar player who can render Tommy Emmanuel trying hard to keep up with him on stage. The guy is a monster guitar player, check him out everyone.

[Jensen]

Hi, do you think this guitar announced to be available on request at Thomann could be an undercover reissue of the MK signature strat?
https://www.thomann.de/intl/fender_1961_strat_hot_rod_red_nos_417861.htm?sid=0305d006b0eae2eb97ee6a7bbca2da8e&ref=intl&shp=eyJjb3VudHJ5IjoiZ2IiLCJjdXJyZW5jeSI6MiwibGFuZ3VhZ2UiOjJ9&reload=1

Except for the 9,5" fretboard radius, the rest seems quite identical, even the hot rod red colour...

4000 EUR for that guitar is total lunacy.

Yes. Luckily I have learned to focus a lot more on the sound, feel and look of a guitar rather than the brand name on the headstock. It gives me the pleasure of having more guitars in different shapes and forms than I would be able to justify if they all had to be Gibson, Fender or whatever. If they sound, look and feel the part, then no one should be concerned about it. Or, at least, I am no longer. And it feels great to let go of all that.

I feel you, though it's really hard to make this psychological switch. It's not always about money, but to get all the guitars I want from brands I want would take like $30 grand, it's impossible. But the keyword is "justify", because I hate discussing someone else's money, it's their money and they can do whatever they want. What they do with their expensive guitars that's another question. I'm not a messiah, but having a luxury guitar just to strum a couple of songs or dabble in music like I do that would not justify it for me. So I'm happy with my cheap-ass Squiers that I play every day.

I agree it is not easy to make the switch. It takes a bit of demystifying the concept af a guitar and understanding that (though quality certainly differs) there is no "magic" to making a guitar. It is not something that for some unknown reason can only be done succesfully by certain brands, in certain countries, citites and the like.

One thing that makes it easier to make the switch, however, is that the quality of cheaper guitars from other brands is usually a lot better than it used to be years ago. I have some really cheap ones that I thought I would upgrade at some point but I never did so because there is absolutely no need for it. They feel good, sound good, stay in tune, look good and the like.