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

[dustyvalentino]

I know, difficult decision!
When I first got it I bought it as it was a gorgeous red Strat at the right price. It could have been an AVRI, Clapton, Chris Rea, Marvin etc. I didn't really care, I wanted a red Strat and this one was available.
It has been used for gigs, lots of band practice/rehearsal and home use. It is only in the last few years that I realised what I had was a bit more rare than the average red Strat, by this time the damage was done!
Do you think a guitar like this would be more valuable in scruffy condition than re finished? Its hardly vintage but one day it will be I suppose!
I guess we will see if the one on Ebay sells.
Not planning on selling mine anyway, just interested.

Apart from the printed MK signature, SE serial number, and some case candy, I'd say it's a pretty average Strat. I know hardcore fans always say that it's much better than a regular strat, but come on... Why does it need to? When I was a kid I used to look at it on the Fender website thinking "I'll never be able to buy this thing". It was something like $1000 for a beat-up one like this and $1500 for a mint one, I remember it pretty well. And this is exactly a price of an average "good" Strat.

The prices are truly offending me, for some reason Gibson Chet Atkins would never gain at price even after Chet Atkins' death and after the production ended back in 2001, but Mark Knopfler Stratocaster prices skyrocketed as if it was made out of gold and 150 guitars were made overall. People are just greedy AF, and I don't care that they think it's a rare guitar. They just want an extremely ridiculous margin and it pisses me off. I don't recommend buying this guitar.

I don't think you can accuse sellers of being greedy.

Any item is only worth what someone else will pay for it.

You keep making the point that it's just an "average" guitar and that all these other options are as good or better, but what these other guitars are NOT is an MK strat. If someone wants an MK strat, they are no longer made, so they will have to pay a premium.

I don't see why you should get offended about what other people choose to do with their money. Some people like cars/holidays/shoes/handbags/motorbikes/guitars. If they choose to spend their money on something it's not something you should concern yourself with.

[firmstools]

 

[quizzaciously]

It doesn't change the fact that whoever will purchase this guitar for 3500 pounds obviously was pretty bad at math in school. And the guy is obviously charging too much for a beaten instrument like that. He knows he bought it for less, we know it.

Heck, Mark recently sold his own guitar at auction, the guitar that he actually owned and it sold for less than this, please don't tell me that this is OK. I'm perfectly okay with people and their money, but when something's messed up, it's messed up.

[hunter]

What's messed up is when someone exploits people in a difficult situation and charge unreasonably high prices for essential goods (food, water, clothes, etc.). A guitar is a luxury item that no-one is forced to buy.

[dustyvalentino]

What's messed up is when someone exploits people in a difficult situation and charge unreasonably high prices for essential goods (food, water, clothes, etc.). A guitar is a luxury item that no-one is forced to buy.

Exactly.

No one is forcing anyone to buy this guitar. No one probably will buy this guitar, at that price anyway.

[dustyvalentino]

It doesn't change the fact that whoever will purchase this guitar for 3500 pounds obviously was pretty bad at math in school. And the guy is obviously charging too much for a beaten instrument like that. He knows he bought it for less, we know it.

Heck, Mark recently sold his own guitar at auction, the guitar that he actually owned and it sold for less than this, please don't tell me that this is OK. I'm perfectly okay with people and their money, but when something's messed up, it's messed up.

Actually neither you or I have any idea how much he paid for this guitar.

And that’s quite right, because it’s none of our business.

[3Strats]

[/quote]
such stuff can normally be polished out by a good luthier if needed
[/quote]

Those marks on the back are more than just  light scratches- as has been said- a pair of pliers or a screwdriver has slipped when the springs have been moved, and the back has been gouged. No amount of polishing will get rid of those marks. With that amount of damage I wouldn't even consider buying it unless I had a luthier lined up to strip it or fill the damage & respray the body, and I wouldn't pay half of what he's asking. edit- In fact I wouldn't pay £1000.

[quizzaciously]

It doesn't change the fact that whoever will purchase this guitar for 3500 pounds obviously was pretty bad at math in school. And the guy is obviously charging too much for a beaten instrument like that. He knows he bought it for less, we know it.

Heck, Mark recently sold his own guitar at auction, the guitar that he actually owned and it sold for less than this, please don't tell me that this is OK. I'm perfectly okay with people and their money, but when something's messed up, it's messed up.

Actually neither you or I have any idea how much he paid for this guitar.

And that’s quite right, because it’s none of our business.

Hey Dusty, with all due respect, I think you're overexaggerating a bit. This was a public auction, not some kind of a private deal, and the last time I checked the last bid for this guitar was around 2K dollars, and I don't think it was sold for much more. The same thing, this MK Strat is on public display on eBay, and I think people have the right to comment on the price. I know that there are a lot of people who can spend gazillion dollars on guitars and buy an MK Strat even for $5,000, but for the wast majority, this price is overkill. And you said it yourself, it won't be sold for this price anyway. And I think any MK Strat listing will generate controversy because everybody thinks it's a Holy Grail now apparently. Personally, I think the prices will go down as people will get that it's in fact not the Holy Grail.

[dustyvalentino]

It doesn't change the fact that whoever will purchase this guitar for 3500 pounds obviously was pretty bad at math in school. And the guy is obviously charging too much for a beaten instrument like that. He knows he bought it for less, we know it.

Heck, Mark recently sold his own guitar at auction, the guitar that he actually owned and it sold for less than this, please don't tell me that this is OK. I'm perfectly okay with people and their money, but when something's messed up, it's messed up.

Actually neither you or I have any idea how much he paid for this guitar.

And that’s quite right, because it’s none of our business.

Hey Dusty, with all due respect, I think you're overexaggerating a bit. This was a public auction, not some kind of a private deal, and the last time I checked the last bid for this guitar was around 2K dollars, and I don't think it was sold for much more. The same thing, this MK Strat is on public display on eBay, and I think people have the right to comment on the price. I know that there are a lot of people who can spend gazillion dollars on guitars and buy an MK Strat even for $5,000, but for the wast majority, this price is overkill. And you said it yourself, it won't be sold for this price anyway. And I think any MK Strat listing will generate controversy because everybody thinks it's a Holy Grail now apparently. Personally, I think the prices will go down as people will get that it's in fact not the Holy Grail.

I don’t understand why you are offended then.

And I disagree that prices will go down. Prices of just about every signature model go up.

[Tomcaster]

@Dustyvalentino I would not agree. Only very few types Strats appreciate in value such as selected limited Masterbuilt Signature Strats (SRV), Strats built by certain Master Builders (J. English, sometimes J. Cruz or maybe C. Fleming in Japan), vintage Strats. The appreciation of the MK Strat is an absolute mystery to me. No other factory built sig Strat appreciated. Perhaps the OLY white version of the Mayer kept value. The Brazilian RW SRVs built in 1992 increased, but these guitars were REALLY rare.

It is impossible for Strats to keep value because the Fender factory shells them out in spades. In fact, they have never been more affordable in such a quality (take a 2nd hand Custom Shop Strat for a hair above 2k Euro shortly before Corona happened). Corona increased demand a bit because of more people staying at home but this will normalize when the pandemic is over.

[dustyvalentino]

@Dustyvalentino I would not agree. Only very few types Strats appreciate in value such as selected limited Masterbuilt Signature Strats (SRV), Strats built by certain Master Builders (J. English, sometimes J. Cruz or maybe C. Fleming in Japan), vintage Strats. The appreciation of the MK Strat is an absolute mystery to me. No other factory built sig Strat appreciated. Perhaps the OLY white version of the Mayer kept value. The Brazilian RW SRVs built in 1992 increased, but these guitars were REALLY rare.

It is impossible for Strats to keep value because the Fender factory shells them out in spades. In fact, they have never been more affordable in such a quality (take a 2nd hand Custom Shop Strat for a hair above 2k Euro shortly before Corona happened). Corona increased demand a bit because of more people staying at home but this will normalize when the pandemic is over.

This guy did research which disagrees with you:

https://reverb.com/uk/news/signature-guitar-models-currently-climbing-in-price

[dustyvalentino]

Look at the price of this one:

https://reverb.com/uk/item/39997365-fender-mark-knopfler-stratocaster-unplayed-early-serial-darker-red-ultimate-collectable?show_sold=true

Sold item!

[quizzaciously]

Look at the price of this one:

https://reverb.com/uk/item/39997365-fender-mark-knopfler-stratocaster-unplayed-early-serial-darker-red-ultimate-collectable?show_sold=true

Sold item!

— Oh, man, I just bought a Strat for 4K pounds, it's so amazing!
— What's so special about this Strat? Is it Custom Shop or Vintage or something like that?
— Well... It's a regular production guitar, it just has a sticker with Mark Knopfler signature on the headstock and some case candy.
—
— And yes, I paid 4 grand for that!
— Good on you son...

[hunter]

Supply, demand, free market. It's very simple.

[dustyvalentino]

Supply, demand, free market. It's very simple.

Correct. Funny that there is so much discussion about the prices of the strats when the Les Pauls sell for over £10k!