Schecter Vintage Mark Knopfler Stratocaster 1980’s Schecter Hard Case
(I’ve recently been asked if this guitar is Mark’s personal Schecter Strat that was stolen from him. The answer is no.)
In 1980, Mark Knopfler acquired several Schecter instruments from Rudy’s Music Stop in New York, including multiple Strat-style models. Among them was a two-tone sunburst Stratocaster that would become particularly notable.
This Schecter model of sunburst Strat was used on his “Tunnel of Love” from the album Making Movies. Knopfler reportedly regarded it very highly at the time, praising its tone in interviews and describing it as one of the finest-sounding instruments he had owned.
The original guitar was stolen shortly after the recording sessions for Making Movies, reportedly taken from a car in Deptford before the start of the subsequent tour. It was replaced with another sunburst Schecter Strat that shared similar core specifications but differed in identifiable details.
The original instrument is believed to have been fitted with Schecter F500T pickups (quarter-inch Alnico magnets with tapped coils). According to Tom Anderson, who worked at Schecter during that period, at least one of the sunburst examples from that batch featured a birch body paired with a highly figured bird’s-eye maple neck. Surviving photographs of the original guitar are limited, but they consistently show a distinctive two-tone sunburst finish, traditional recessed Strat-style output jack, and dot fretboard markers.
While documentation is limited due to the short time the original instrument remained in Knopfler’s possession, its association with Making Movies and its role in recording “Tunnel of Love” give it a unique place in Schecter and Dire Straits history.
Here are the specifications for this fine instrument:
SERIAL No: S Serial
COLOR: Tobacco Burst
NECK: Highly Figured Birds Eye 1-Piece Maple, C Profile
CONTROLS: Vintage Allen Bradley Mod Pots 250K Master Volume and Master Tone
BRIDGE: Schecter F313B Tremolo Bridge Assembly
PICKUP SWITCHING: Three 3-Position Toggle: Position 1: Full Pickup Position 2. Off Position 3. Tapped Position
END PINS: Double End Pins in brass at rear of guitar
HARDWARE: Brass/Gold
NUT: Brass
INCLUDED: Genuine Vintage Schecter Stratocaster Hard Case with leather ends (the leather is worn in some places giving it a vintage feel) See pics.
If you're big into Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits, as we proudly are, this guitar is the perfect guitar for you. In a word, it rocks!
We will try to answer all questions and international buyers are welcomed. We ship around the world using USPS. If you have a chance, check out our other guitars that we have up for sale. Have fun!
