1958 GIBSON LES PAUL STANDARD
Mark Knopfler has two ’Bursts that get used frequently on recordings and live dates: a 1959 example and this beautiful ’58 that Mark says is remarkable not just for its tone but rock-solid tuning stability. This ’58 also formed the basis for a Gibson Custom replica model that was issued with a long neck tenon, PAF-style custom ’Buckers and hide-glue neck construction. Samples from the original run of 100 hand-aged and 150 VOS (Vintage Original Spec) replicas were used by Mark alongside the original ’58 on the new album.
and they did it so well that I used a few of those. Just out of interest, I would try one or two, and one of them would just maybe slot into a song better than another and it’s so amazing why the hell that happens, but they’ve all been just a joy to use. I’ve a very nice ’59 Les Paul, too, which gets used from time to time, which is lovely. There would definitely be P-90s, too; I think P-90s are just great pickups. I find that there’s often more tone in them than others, don’t you? There’s a reason why I keep going back to them. So the 330 gets used a little bit. I use a Gretsch every now and again. I use a Rickenbacker for some ‘chings’ or some ‘drings’ occasionally.
“Acoustically, it’d be the Martin, the 1935 D-18,” he says. “If I’m strumming straight chords I like to use an old Gibson Southerner from about ’53 because it just shivers straight across – it’s nice and even. If I was doing rhythm, maybe on One Song At A Time, it would probably be that if I was just hitting it with a pick and playing straight rhythm chords. If I was using a cello [archtop], it would most likely be the D’Angelico Excel, from ’37, which was an amazing time for D’Angelicos.
“The thing about the great old jazz guitars, the great old cello guitars, is that as time goes on you can do anything with them,” he adds. “What I’m trying to say is I could play a song that’s ostensibly out of character for it and it will handle it, you know? You can play straight cowboy chords or just pick on them. They’re just uncanny the way that they are.”
Knopfler ascribes some of the incredible musicality of these guitars to the exacting tradition of archtop building, passed down from master to apprentice, that links the D’Angelico Excel to the younger but equally refined Monteleone that also forms part of his collection.
“It’s an apprentice system,” Knopfler explains. “Just like D’Aquisto was apprenticed to D’Angelico, then John [Monteleone] started doing stuff for D’Aquisto as an apprentice. I asked John Monteleone who his apprentice is and he said, ‘I haven’t got one. Never found anybody.’ There must be less kids now that can subject themselves to that kind of discipline. It’s a nutty discipline, though, the standards are so high, you know? But when the Monteleone has been around as long as the D’Angelico it will also sound like that, which is scary to think about – but I’ll be long gone,” he concludes, with a smile.
“I can play a song that’s out of character for an old archtop and it will handle it”