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

[TheTimeWasWrong]

IMO, Mark's last great Strat sound was on the studio version of What It Is. And he never beat the Strat sound on the two first DS albums.


And I don't understand the reason for the Texas Specials, not for clean tones anyway.

What It Is was recorded with the Schecter, right?

[lcc77]

Sorry if this has been mentioned before, just came across these Fender schematics for the MK strat and it shows no tone control for the bridge pickup, mine most defiantly has!
I got mine S/H 11 years ago so it may have been modded before I got it.
Are the diagrams wrong? (quite possible) or has my guitar been modified?

https://p4.zdassets.com/hc/theme_assets/549136/200076499/011-7800A_SISD.pdf

My MK strat is like the diagrams : no tone control for the bridge pickup.

[Rolo]

IMO, Mark's last great Strat sound was on the studio version of What It Is. And he never beat the Strat sound on the two first DS albums.


And I don't understand the reason for the Texas Specials, not for clean tones anyway.

What It Is was recorded with the Schecter, right?

According from a brazilian magazine 'Cover Guitarra' MK himself confirms that both WII and STP are recorded with the CAR Schecter Strat.

Sorry my poor english

[StephanG]

Sorry if this has been mentioned before, just came across these Fender schematics for the MK strat and it shows no tone control for the bridge pickup, mine most defiantly has!
I got mine S/H 11 years ago so it may have been modded before I got it.
Are the diagrams wrong? (quite possible) or has my guitar been modified?

https://p4.zdassets.com/hc/theme_assets/549136/200076499/011-7800A_SISD.pdf

modded.. mine doesn't have it.. but luckily its not a degrading mod.. just one wire shouldered on to the pot.. easy to remove and restore to original spec.

[hunter]

IMO, Mark's last great Strat sound was on the studio version of What It Is. And he never beat the Strat sound on the two first DS albums.


And I don't understand the reason for the Texas Specials, not for clean tones anyway.

What It Is was recorded with the Schecter, right?

Really? I would have thought he used either the original red Strat or the white one he played slide on on Tracker.


We have to remember though that the red Schecter has Seymour Duncan pickups, which sound very different than the original Schecter pickups. Much more like a vintage Strat.

[Tomcaster]

IMO, Mark's last great Strat sound was on the studio version of What It Is. And he never beat the Strat sound on the two first DS albums.


And I don't understand the reason for the Texas Specials, not for clean tones anyway.

What It Is was recorded with the Schecter, right?

According from a brazilian magazine 'Cover Guitarra' MK himself confirms that both WII and STP are recorded with the CAR Schecter Strat.

Sorry my poor english

Do you perhaps have a scan of this?

[Rolo]

IMO, Mark's last great Strat sound was on the studio version of What It Is. And he never beat the Strat sound on the two first DS albums.


And I don't understand the reason for the Texas Specials, not for clean tones anyway.

What It Is was recorded with the Schecter, right?

According from a brazilian magazine 'Cover Guitarra' MK himself confirms that both WII and STP are recorded with the CAR Schecter Strat.

Sorry my poor english

Do you perhaps have a scan of this?

No. Not anymore.
I tried to find scans, but nobody has.

[firmstools]

Sorry if this has been mentioned before, just came across these Fender schematics for the MK strat and it shows no tone control for the bridge pickup, mine most defiantly has!
I got mine S/H 11 years ago so it may have been modded before I got it.
Are the diagrams wrong? (quite possible) or has my guitar been modified?

https://p4.zdassets.com/hc/theme_assets/549136/200076499/011-7800A_SISD.pdf

My MK strat is like the diagrams : no tone control for the bridge pickup.

Thanks.

[firmstools]

Sorry if this has been mentioned before, just came across these Fender schematics for the MK strat and it shows no tone control for the bridge pickup, mine most defiantly has!
I got mine S/H 11 years ago so it may have been modded before I got it.
Are the diagrams wrong? (quite possible) or has my guitar been modified?

https://p4.zdassets.com/hc/theme_assets/549136/200076499/011-7800A_SISD.pdf

modded.. mine doesn't have it.. but luckily its not a degrading mod.. just one wire shouldered on to the pot.. easy to remove and restore to original spec.

Thank you, good to know.

[hunter]

Sorry if this has been mentioned before, just came across these Fender schematics for the MK strat and it shows no tone control for the bridge pickup, mine most defiantly has!
I got mine S/H 11 years ago so it may have been modded before I got it.
Are the diagrams wrong? (quite possible) or has my guitar been modified?

https://p4.zdassets.com/hc/theme_assets/549136/200076499/011-7800A_SISD.pdf

modded.. mine doesn't have it.. but luckily its not a degrading mod.. just one wire shouldered on to the pot.. easy to remove and restore to original spec.

Too many people have been dissatisfied with the Strat bridge pickup because of the original wiring. Adding it to the second time control makes so more useful. Back it down to 6, and it approaches the sound of a Tele pickup.

[JF]

strange because on other intreviews, Marks said that the song STP was on the 64 white strat

[quizzaciously]

strange because on other intreviews, Marks said that the song STP was on the 64 white strat

But people were talking about What It Is, not STP. Anyway, I think that's too specific anyway, personally, I don't care at all on which guitar he recorded it. Might be a Mexican strat for all we know, won't make the song even 0.001% less enjoyable.

[Tomcaster]

What It Is has a particularly beautiful guitar tone. I am not able to copy it on any of my guitars or amps. I don't think the the guitar is the key ingredient here because both his 1961 and his 1964 would sound pretty similar directionally as vintage Strats. The Schecter has a mahogany body, perhaps that changed things, but the pickups are Seymour Duncan Alnico II, so vintage style pickups again... I think he got a very good recording tone and that is always tricky to recreate.

[quizzaciously]

What It Is has a particularly beautiful guitar tone. I am not able to copy it on any of my guitars or amps. I don't think the the guitar is the key ingredient here because both his 1961 and his 1964 would sound pretty similar directionally as vintage Strats. The Schecter has a mahogany body, perhaps that changed things, but the pickups are Seymour Duncan Alnico II, so vintage style pickups again... I think he got a very good recording tone and that is always tricky to recreate.

I have to say that you can't really compare any sound to the sound that you hear on the record. I once heard, can't remember where or when, the isolated guitar part of What It Is without FX, and it sounded just like a regular guitar, absolutely nothing special about it, with squeaks and greenies, hum and stuff. I almost can't believe that you can turn this regular sound into the magic that you hear on the record. Chuck Ainlay is a true magician of his craft. He'll make my Squier sound like a million-dollar guitar.

[hunter]

What It Is has a particularly beautiful guitar tone. I am not able to copy it on any of my guitars or amps. I don't think the the guitar is the key ingredient here because both his 1961 and his 1964 would sound pretty similar directionally as vintage Strats. The Schecter has a mahogany body, perhaps that changed things, but the pickups are Seymour Duncan Alnico II, so vintage style pickups again... I think he got a very good recording tone and that is always tricky to recreate.

Been listening to this a bit now, and the tone is actually quite midrangey and thick. It actually reminds me of the Pensa Suhr MK1 tone on Telegraph Road during the OES tour. It sounds like he's using a Tube Screamer or similar to boost the mids.