Schecter or Fender on Sultans - Alchemy Live?

[WaterofLove]

Which is the red guitar he uses on the legendary performance?

[AMARKINTIME]

Schecter Stratocaster red

This guitar was used from 1980 to around 1987,
Dire Straits concert Live Aid
and ocassionally in the 90s

[WaterofLove]

Thanks for answering! Is it Dream Machine 2?

[dmg]

Thanks for answering! Is it Dream Machine 2?

This one:

http://www.mk-guitar.com/mark-knopfler-gear-database/schecter-dream-machine-red-1980/

[WaterofLove]

Thanks! It can be hard to tell them apart Is Schecter generally a better guitar brand than Fender?

[kaleo74]

Used on "Going home - On the night" 1992.

[Ingo]

Thanks! It can be hard to tell them apart Is Schecter generally a better guitar brand than Fender?

The company that made Mark's guitars in the early 80ies is out of business since about 1984. The name was sold and changed owners a few times, the Schecter company of today has nothing to do with the original but used to focus on heavey metal guitars and such instead. As they have the name of that original company, it seems they more recently had the idea to offer a guitar looking similar to Mark's and calling it Sultan. But it is not similar, not even close to what Mark played.

The original Schecter company was in fact based on the idea to offer upgrade parts for Fenders, a bit later they finally assembled their parts to complete guitars, inofficially called the Dream Machines (due to an 80ies advert with this slogan)

[JF]

the guitar was used on :

- 80-81 : the guitar is seen in video clips of skateaway and tunnel of love, and also on Tunnel of love first TV promo clips (because the sunburst had just been stolen)
LIVE : Expresso love, Waterline, Lions, Sultans, News, Skateaway, single handed sailor, in the gallery, wild west end

- 82-83 : the guitar is seen on the Private Investigations video clip for the electric part, and on TV promo clips for Industrial Disease.
LIVE : Once upon a time, expresso love, sultans, twisting by the pool, Portobelle belle, Going home.
No video exists of It never rains. was it this guitar ? I would rather vote for the sunburst schecter strat on this one

- 83 : the guitar is seen on 2 Dylan's video clips from Infidels

- 85-86 : studio version of why worry
LIVE : Expresso love, Sultans (first leg of the tour, and Live Aid), going home ((first leg of the tour) So far away, why Worry

- 88 : the guitar is seen on the money that matters video clip

- 91-92 : the guitar is seen on the video clip of The bug, but live he used the white schecter strat, so not sure on the studio version
LIVE : to be more accurate it's wild theme on the OES tour, not Going home. the guitar was also used on the song OES (on the studio version it seems it was the '61, Jeroen from OEB read this in the song book "MK style vol2" if memory serves)

- 96 : the guitar is seen on the videoclip of Golden heart. does it mean it was the guitar used on the recording ? Not necessarily, example : the Calling Elvis clip shows the white schecter while we can't be almost sure that it is the Pensa-shur on this song
LIVE :Going home was played with this guitar on the Jools Holand BBC gig released for the ANIL video. Later on tour he played this song on the LP

- 2000 : I remember Strat61 said that he read that this guitar was used on the WII studio version, but I doubt it, I would rather vote for the '61 on this one

- 2008 : LIVE Richard played this guitar on the fish and the bird

I don't think we have seen it again since then...

maybe I forgot some other songs...

[JF]

I have always thought Sultans with the Schecter beats the one with the Pensa or the Fender 100000 to 1

my dream guitar

yes because the Alchemy version is for many fans the ultimate version....but I think that it depends more on Mark's musical period, rather than the guitar model.
If he still had played with fenders during the eighties, I bet that his music, his playing, his inispration, his orchestral arrangements would been almost the sames..but of course we will never know

[Knopflerfan]

Personally I didn't like the sound of the Schecter... A 'proper' Stratocaster anytime for me....

[dustyvalentino]

Personally I didn't like the sound of the Schecter... A 'proper' Stratocaster anytime for me....

Ha. Crazy talk!

[dmg]

Personally I didn't like the sound of the Schecter... A 'proper' Stratocaster anytime for me....

Not a fan of the Schecter then? 

[Knopflerfan]

Nope not a Schecter fan I'm afraid...

[dmg]

Thanks! It can be hard to tell them apart Is Schecter generally a better guitar brand than Fender?

it can better or worse, it only depends on your musical taste

...or whose fingers are caressing it! 

[stratocasteph]

Guitar playing is amazing on Alchemy, but the guitar tone is not my favorite one.
I don't think that the Schecter vs Fender guitar is the key of the problem, I'd rather look on the amps he played on this tour.