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

[dustyvalentino]

I think I would want to know the serial number before I bought it, especially at that kind of money.

Crazy prices, although to be fair it's basically a brand new instrument from what I can see, maybe it's the only one on eth planet.

I would never sell mine (unless I was dying or something and I wanted the money to give to my kids) but I do wonder how much I would get for it. It's the wrong colour and signed by MK, both factors which could end up lowering the value.

I think you're selling your MK Strat short (pun intended). Production mistakes, especially this big, somehow make collectable items even more desirable. I actually like Dakota Red more than Hot Rod Red anyway. It's not like you repainted your guitar, it just was created like this! Like Porsche brake pads on Audi RS 2. And the signature actually makes it even more special, since now it's genuinely a signature instrument.

It's hard to say because the wrong colour ones never seem to come up for sale. Many people might not want that, they are buying an MK guitar because they want the same guitar MK plays, and he doesn't play one this colour. Also the signature, I know it's real because I watched him do it, but I have no proof so could easily be fake which again could put some people off. Anyhoo, not for sale, will be 20 years this year since I got it and it has served me well at lots and lots of gigs!

[2manyguitars]

For sale in the UK: https://www.ebay.com/itm/266169344744?hash=item3df8ede2e8:g:VUwAAOSwLC5kDZxE&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAwD7NpKtyxj5z0WMqevo6KacW%2BPundWWUErEPYvh8Q1dVZwV1QjEHPXjcXKa32WERmFh%2BXZ8Dp7MsS0xVCU6qzyW7WRvq7BigdoT%2B3m4agz%2FqLRPahSm2wzjgNm9hYNOmNgLvk%2Fayu91xo13hSgR8xtTnpgKF8Gbv%2BQtLooxRZnVPTZxVygVDRD0X5U2JWiXgTeQn6DxAXhSyZbGuAUnx40TTB8jvYH8TRZKpT3CHx9ihJ6qBvyno%2FHmEPnkl0STawA%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR6i93__aYQ

Is it just me or was it a bit peculiar that he covered up the serial number?

That's actually a common practice all over the world, even for selling like MacBooks and any other item with a serial number on it. I never did it, but I understand some people do it in order to save themselves from possible stealing claims or something. Or to stop counterfeiters to copy the serial number, and other reasons. The stupidest thing I think is to hide the serial numbers of guitars like this Signature Les Paul, where you know it's only 50 of them, so why bother?

I guess the main reason to hide the serial number would simply be it's something personal, unique, and not known to the general public, so I should probably hide it.

Must be my suspicious mind (theres a song about that somewhere...) Its just like Dusty said, I'd actually like to know the serial before purchasing given that for example a first run MK strat would be pretty unique to find now. Surely the serial is part of the value of the instrument.....

I do understand your explanation though.....

[dustyvalentino]

https://www.lespaulforum.com/index.php?threads/craig-chaquicos-quest-to-get-his-stolen-59-gibson-sunburst-les-paul-guitar-back.199522/

You probably don't want to read this but it's a good reason not to post your guitar serial numbers online.

Long story short, guitarist with Jefferson Airplane had a vintage Les Paul stolen in the 70s. He received an insurance payout for it at the time.

Decades later a guy in America has bought it in good faith. The Airplane guy gets wind of it and ends up trying to sue him to get the guitar back. Turns out he has no legal right to get it back, but in the meantime the owner has built up so much legal costs that he has to sell the guitar to cover them. So neither party ends up owning the guitar - Joe Bonamassa buys it:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3au_YUJBD7/?hl=en

[2manyguitars]

https://www.lespaulforum.com/index.php?threads/craig-chaquicos-quest-to-get-his-stolen-59-gibson-sunburst-les-paul-guitar-back.199522/

You probably don't want to read this but it's a good reason not to post your guitar serial numbers online.

Long story short, guitarist with Jefferson Airplane had a vintage Les Paul stolen in the 70s. He received an insurance payout for it at the time.

Decades later a guy in America has bought it in good faith. The Airplane guy gets wind of it and ends up trying to sue him to get the guitar back. Turns out he has no legal right to get it back, but in the meantime the owner has built up so much legal costs that he has to sell the guitar to cover them. So neither party ends up owning the guitar - Joe Bonamassa buys it:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3au_YUJBD7/?hl=en

Sad story really. All over a piece of wood!

[hunter]

https://www.lespaulforum.com/index.php?threads/craig-chaquicos-quest-to-get-his-stolen-59-gibson-sunburst-les-paul-guitar-back.199522/

You probably don't want to read this but it's a good reason not to post your guitar serial numbers online.

Long story short, guitarist with Jefferson Airplane had a vintage Les Paul stolen in the 70s. He received an insurance payout for it at the time.

Decades later a guy in America has bought it in good faith. The Airplane guy gets wind of it and ends up trying to sue him to get the guitar back. Turns out he has no legal right to get it back, but in the meantime the owner has built up so much legal costs that he has to sell the guitar to cover them. So neither party ends up owning the guitar - Joe Bonamassa buys it:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3au_YUJBD7/?hl=en

Sad story really. All over a piece of wood!

The ever-present Joe Bonamassa.

[JF]

https://www.lespaulforum.com/index.php?threads/craig-chaquicos-quest-to-get-his-stolen-59-gibson-sunburst-les-paul-guitar-back.199522/

You probably don't want to read this but it's a good reason not to post your guitar serial numbers online.

Long story short, guitarist with Jefferson Airplane had a vintage Les Paul stolen in the 70s. He received an insurance payout for it at the time.

Decades later a guy in America has bought it in good faith. The Airplane guy gets wind of it and ends up trying to sue him to get the guitar back. Turns out he has no legal right to get it back, but in the meantime the owner has built up so much legal costs that he has to sell the guitar to cover them. So neither party ends up owning the guitar - Joe Bonamassa buys it:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3au_YUJBD7/?hl=en

Sad story really. All over a piece of wood!

The ever-present Joe Bonamassa.

I think he got the famous EC's "Beano" LP too, right ?

[dustyvalentino]

If he does he's not telling us!

[Tomcaster]

Gents, I guess you have seen this pic, but I think it's still worth to bring it up. This is the 1961 Strat next to the Fender Signature Model. Note the difference in the colours. One more orangey, one more pinkish. Also the very aged scratch plate of the 1961 is interesting. It must have seen quite a lot of bar smoke.

[dustyvalentino]

The 61 strat was repainted wasn't it?

[Tomcaster]

Yes, probably multiple times. Mark bought it with the finish stripped down and had it painted in red. Ingo Raven researched this. Later, in the 80s, the guitar developed heavy lacquer checking and it must have been repainted again because you cannot touch up this stuff. This is how it got today's color.

[dustyvalentino]

I suppose once the original finish is gone you might as well re-do it until you are happy.

[JF]

very intresting article about the famous "fiesta red" colour (sorry it's in french) :

https://www.emma-music.com/la-couleur-fiesta-red-article-fender-c2x32727409?PGFLngID=0

[Tomcaster]

For details on Fiesta Red, I highly recommend the Shadows forum.

http://www.shadowmusic.bdme.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=16677&hilit=roman+red

there were multiple colours that were sold as Fiesta. Hot Rod Red is very different to Fiesta.

[3Strats]

Regarding the ageing on the original 61 Strat's scratch plate, it's been my experience that it's not just smokey bars that colour them. Keeping a guitar out of it's case will cause ageing due to exposure to daylight, even if not in direct sun.  I have a Mexican & a Japanese Strat, both 50's style with a non-laminated scratchplate and over many years kept on a guitar rack they have only gone slightly off white (parchment). I used to keep my MK strat out as well, but the mint green scratchplate has aged much more than the others and is no longer any sort of green, it's gone a nasty buff/ latte colour !   
This was taken in 2015 - it's darker than this now even though It's been kept in it's case since then.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dtvaviationimages/16680297931/in/album-72157627669196085/

I expect Mr Saggers keeps all of Marks guitars in their cases when not in use as the scratch plates in Mark's signature strats still look quite "white". 

[Tomcaster]

The scratch plates on Mrs Signature Strats are mint green and the PU covers/knobs are aged white. This is very obvious when you put a white sheet of paper on them. Now look at how green the 61 scratch-late looks to the mint green of the MK Sig Strat ;-)