Mark Knopfler 1958 Les Paul

[JF]

I have one of the MK signature Strats. In my head the Strat is a different "thing" to the Les Paul, because although they were based on his 60's Strat Mark used them a lot live and when recording, and so I feel I am playing the same guitar as he does and not a "copy".
I know he's been using the signature Les Paul for some songs on his more recent tours, but he was still using the "real" '58, and due to the nature of the Gibsons (faded sunburst finish and pattern and depth of flame on the top) I feel that the Les Pauls are more of a "close copy" which he has been using on a few songs for contractural reasons with Gibson. On that basis (and also the cost of course), I wasn't interested in getting one of the signature Les Pauls, particularly when I could get this for £2100.00

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dtvaviationimages/52414708791/in/album-72157627669196085/

I thought he had only the sig LP on tour in 2019, no more the original 58 which stood in the studio... did I miss something ? 

From my photos you can make out that he is using different Les Pauls, including the '58. It's hard to tell because his hand often casts a shadow over the spot on the '58 where the wooden plug was inserted when it was restored, but it looked like he was using a signature model whenever he had a capo on the guitar, and on Why Aye Man he was using one with the neck pickup turned round a-la Peter Green (although I haven't got a photo of that). I asked Guy if he'd had the Peter Green mod done but got no reply. You can see the neck pickup IS reversed in this video, and he is using the middle position (both pickups).  Another giveaway is that the guitars have different straps. It's unlikely that Glenn would be changing straps between songs so that's another indicator that they are on different guitars.

 

ok thanks
of course there were different LP on that tour, but that doesn't mean the 58 was there
I thought that in 2019 he didn't bring "vintage" guitars no more (no more National, no more jurassic strat , etc...)

I'm satisfied that ( at Newcastle at least) he was playing the '58 on four songs. Once upon a time in the West, Your Latest Trick, Silvertown Blues & Speeedway At Nazareth. He changed to one of the Signature models for MFN & Going Home, and used a different signature model (with a capo) on Why Aye Man. The signature models look a bit more red around the pickup selector switch.

It's not the best shot, but this is the '58. Looking back at my Tracker tour photos it had the same strap on.
https://dtvaviationimages.co.uk/mark-knopfler-tour-photos/down-the-road-wherever-tour-2019/mk_0065lq/

thanks 

[dustyvalentino]

Wanted to confirm that my memory was correct so checked back, I saw the gold sticker on the back of the 58 from the front row of the RAH in 2019:

I saw the gold sticker from a couple of feet away at the RAH.

Also saw the signature and metal selector cover during the encores on the reissue. Don't really care if people choose not to believe that but I don't have anything to gain by making this up.

Less sure about the WAM guitar being a reissue but it looked practically new.

https://www.amarkintime.org/forum/index.php?topic=6846.105

[dustyvalentino]

Les Paul observations from RAH:

WAM is a 59 reissue. He has used this on "capo" songs for years, WAM and SFSL. You can tell close up that it looks like new.

58 burst on quite a few things, OUATITW, YLT and others.

MK Les Paul reissue for the encores. Confused me at first as it looks vintage but clearly not the 58. When he turns you can see it doesn't have the gold sticker on the back of the headstock... But it is signed! I found it amusing that he signed his own guitar...

When he held it up at the end you could also see the metal cover behind the switchtip.

[quizzaciously]

That all makes sense, actually. After all, having just two Les Pauls isn't enough for somebody like MK. Especially since Les Paul is notorious for its tuning instability, having a separate guitar for every capo position and tuning makes a lot of sense.

[quizzaciously]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/165974359514?hash=item26a4d7bdda:g:JY8AAOSwRa1kCbJ-&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAwORVlMeNfD5JubIq1hQLqhjpZZNC48HZ1P6cHqJnaTnwQXf%2FC4r%2BLhxbwNHznIstFMders%2Bt3Gf7C55V%2BFrqPfP%2BYkyVJyrX%2FTYNjwPtoDyww0xcnu3%2B%2BqoBUBhKnEEi9kiAy8N0JO%2BPYzWdtjG0Zczv4mC6xRoGUyZ6xrJP%2Fgb61%2FsvRgW%2Bloq10fjDADeF8UAAZdkr4N3vmebwKgUKShKyffGftK4%2Bmv9LHgM%2B1sZJvgAy%2FH488dwa7QNsQnNkLw%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR-DUmtjZYQ

So why has nobody bought it yet?

I mean it's a bargain! Only 50K euros.

[ds1984]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/165974359514?hash=item26a4d7bdda:g:JY8AAOSwRa1kCbJ-&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAwORVlMeNfD5JubIq1hQLqhjpZZNC48HZ1P6cHqJnaTnwQXf%2FC4r%2BLhxbwNHznIstFMders%2Bt3Gf7C55V%2BFrqPfP%2BYkyVJyrX%2FTYNjwPtoDyww0xcnu3%2B%2BqoBUBhKnEEi9kiAy8N0JO%2BPYzWdtjG0Zczv4mC6xRoGUyZ6xrJP%2Fgb61%2FsvRgW%2Bloq10fjDADeF8UAAZdkr4N3vmebwKgUKShKyffGftK4%2Bmv9LHgM%2B1sZJvgAy%2FH488dwa7QNsQnNkLw%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR-DUmtjZYQ

So why has nobody bought it yet?

I mean it's a bargain! Only 50K euros.

NADA, he's waiting ***offer*** for it.