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

[Tomcaster]

Hey guys. I have some progress on the pickups MK (might) be using. I was inspired by this:
https://www.seymourduncan.com/artists/mark-knopfler


I wrote to the Seymour Duncan Custom Shop and voila! They confirmed that MK ordered vintage style Strat pickups from them. They declined to give the exact specs (this is their policy) but they said that the PUs were roughly in the ballpark of SSL1s. They could not say whether MK actually installed the PUs.

[holaknopfler]

Hey guys. I have some progress on the pickups MK (might) be using. I was inspired by this:
https://www.seymourduncan.com/artists/mark-knopfler


I wrote to the Seymour Duncan Custom Shop and voila! They confirmed that MK ordered vintage style Strat pickups from them. They declined to give the exact specs (this is their policy) but they said that the PUs were roughly in the ballpark of SSL1s. They could not say whether MK actually installed the PUs.

.

He did, he used them live in his sig strat during the 2011 Bob Dylan tour on -if my memory serves me right- Forever Young.

[Tomcaster]

Perhaps I did not express myself well. The Lipstick Tube pickups are one type of PU that Seymour Duncan wound for MK, but they also admitted that MK ordered some SSL1 type of pickups. About these, SD cannot say whether MK actually used them

[border_reiver]

A bit off-topic but I have always had a feeling that MK uses an SD in his Danelectro too. That pickup looks too shiny to be that old.

[hunter]

Perhaps I did not express myself well. The Lipstick Tube pickups are one type of PU that Seymour Duncan wound for MK, but they also admitted that MK ordered some SSL1 type of pickups. About these, SD cannot say whether MK actually used them

That might have been during the time of development of the MK signature model? I seem to have read that he tried tons of pickups before settling on the Texas Specials.

[Tomcaster]

I don't think so. The story was that he tried tons of pickups at Fender. The PUs MK ordered at SD were hand wound 300 USD level pickups.

[Jules]

This is the guitar with that pickups

[dustyvalentino]

This is the guitar with that pickups

Again, these are the SD lipstick pickups. We don’t know if he ever used the “normal” SD pickups.


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[Tomcaster]

Correct. The only trace we have is the confirmation from SD that MK ordered these SSL1 type of pickups.

I am thinking to order them as well but this is a tough one for 300 USD ;-)

[quizzaciously]

The pinkest pink guitar I have ever seen is MK Strat.

[Tomcaster]

it depends very much on the light. In natural light, it is orange-red. In artificial light it can be pinkish red.

Note that in the video the tremolo n the demo rests against the body. It sounds a lot better like that. Just make sure you don't over tighten the springs so the lacquer doesn't break or dent. Best to do it with a tuner.

[dustyvalentino]

My one never looks pink.

[Tomcaster]

I provided a small analysis further up why every MK Sig has to look a little pink. Essentially Fender Hot Rod Red is like Corsa Red (pure red with a certain intensity) but with a little additional shot of blue. As soon as the color reflects light being on the cooler side of the spectrum (e.g. LED), you will get the pink effect.

Fiesta Red has a bit of green and blue to it, so sometimes it looks pink, sometimes salmon, most often just orange-red. It all depends on the light. This is why it's impossible to photograph these guitars or you should take multiple pictures in varying lighting conditions.

[dustyvalentino]

I provided a small analysis further up why every MK Sig has to look a little pink. Essentially Fender Hot Rod Red is like Corsa Red (pure red with a certain intensity) but with a little additional shot of blue. As soon as the color reflects light being on the cooler side of the spectrum (e.g. LED), you will get the pink effect.

Fiesta Red has a bit of green and blue to it, so sometimes it looks pink, sometimes salmon, most often just orange-red. It all depends on the light. This is why it's impossible to photograph these guitars or you should take multiple pictures in varying lighting conditions.

Very interesting, but not every MK sig is Hot Rod Red


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[Tomcaster]

ah you refer to the Dakota... apologies, I missed that. Dakota is very cool!