Cloning the stolen 'Tunnel of Love' Schecter Dream Machine Strat

[Ingo]

Mark used a wonderful sunburst Schecter Strat (http://www.mk-guitar.com/mark-knopfler-gear-database/schecter-dream-machine-sunburst-1980-stolen/) on the Making Movies album, he said it was 'the best he ever had' and that he used it on Tunnel of Love. It seems it had - very unique - a flamed BIRCH body.

As we all know it was stolen from the car boot  after rehearsing in Greenwich in 1980, before the Making Movies tour started. Mark had to do the first gigs and promo appearances with the red Schecter on Tunnel of Love for this reason, before he got the S8001 Schecter (http://www.mk-guitar.com/mark-knopfler-gear-database/schecter-dream-machine-sunburst-1980-the-replacement/) as a replacement.

I started a build inspired by this guitar. Not finished yet but I was so curious how the birch body sounds so that I assembled the raw parts for a first sound check:

 

More info on this project in this blog post: http://www.mk-guitar.com/2015/11/01/preview-tunnel-of-love-birch-dream-machine-strat-copy/

[border_reiver]

Very very nice! 

[Ingo]

More is already in the pipeline. The three bodies in the front (mahogany, ash with side jack, mahogany) are complete, the two behind (birch, ash) still need the forearm contours. All are one-piece, and all have the slimmer Schecter shape and not the Fender shape. The birch body has a flame very similar to Mark's, and I made sure the grain on the ash bodies is as close to Mark's as possible, which means carefully selecting the body blanks. Man, I need NECKS now !!!

[zuzka]

  beautiful work Ingo! 

[11-54_Stringcheese]

Mark used a wonderful sunburst Schecter Strat (http://www.mk-guitar.com/mark-knopfler-gear-database/schecter-dream-machine-sunburst-1980-stolen/) on the Making Movies album, he said it was 'the best he ever had' and that he used it on Tunnel of Love. It seems it had - very unique - a flamed BIRCH body.

As we all know it was stolen from the car boot  after rehearsing in Greenwich in 1980, before the Making Movies tour started. Mark had to do the first gigs and promo appearances with the red Schecter on Tunnel of Love for this reason, before he got the S8001 Schecter (http://www.mk-guitar.com/mark-knopfler-gear-database/schecter-dream-machine-sunburst-1980-the-replacement/) as a replacement.

I started a build inspired by this guitar. Not finished yet but I was so curious how the birch body sounds so that I assembled the raw parts for a first sound check:

 

More info on this project in this blog post: http://www.mk-guitar.com/2015/11/01/preview-tunnel-of-love-birch-dream-machine-strat-copy/

Very cool, Ingo. I admire your passion, knowledge and skill. Where did you source the bodies from? Warmoth?

By the way, a friend of mine bought the pickguard assembly with the F500T pickups. Was just curious - do you recommend adjusting the pickup height for the tapped coil or the full coil? I guess if you mostly are after vintage Strat sounds, they should be adjusted for the tapped coil. (I probably would optimize the height of the neck and middle for the tapped coils and the bridge for the full coil.)

[Ingo]

Where did you source the bodies from? Warmoth?

No, they are not available anywhere. I had to produce them myself to make sure everything is as I want it to be. They are routed with templates copied from my own Dream Machine.

By the way, a friend of mine bought the pickguard assembly with the F500T pickups. Was just curious - do you recommend adjusting the pickup height for the tapped coil or the full coil? I guess if you mostly are after vintage Strat sounds, they should be adjusted for the tapped coil. (I probably would optimize the height of the neck and middle for the tapped coils and the bridge for the full coil.)

As you want, I'd put them all to  the same position of the mini switch and adjust them then.

[Silvertown]

Nice work Ingo!

Do we know the position of output jack in the stolen Schecter? Was it standard Stratocaster style or like in the replacement Schecter?

[Ingo]

Nice work Ingo!

Do we know the position of output jack in the stolen Schecter? Was it standard Stratocaster style or like in the replacement Schecter?

Take a look at the pictures with the five bodies, the birch body is on the top left , as you see it is at the standard position!  In other words, yes, we know the position. There are only a few pictures of the stolen guitar, all from one photo session, but luckily two or so show the output jack.
--> All MK Schecters have the normal output jacks with exception of the replacement sunburst Strat with the jack on the side!