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Gibson Les Paul Mark Knopfler Aged Artist Proof 06
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The greatest guitarists in history have often chosen a key role model whom they have made an object of absolute veneration. But when it comes to Mark Knopfler, the English prodigy, the task becomes tricky as the musician has pursued his quest for new sounds throughout his career. While his legendary 1961 Stratocaster, repainted in red, is one of the classics in his arsenal, he has also turned to Gibson in his frantic search for desired sounds. He took Les Paul to record numerous hits and to tour, including the timeless riff from Money for Nothing. This Gibson Les Paul Mark Knopfler Aged Artist Proof 6 is an exceptional guitar based on his 1958 Les Paul fetish, one of the artist proofs that preceded mass production.
When Mark Knopfler took up the Les Paul reference, he was looking for the qualities of the original Bursts. In a 1983 Reissue 59', he found the sounds he was looking for, which he shaped to suit his needs. The one heard on Money for Nothing and Brothers in Arms has deepened Knopfler's particular love of Les Paul. Still inspired by the model's unique sound, he treated himself to two original Bursts, a 1958 and a 1959, a few years later. Although the latter is considered the more desirable vintage, Knopfler tends to prefer the former. It's the one heard on the "Golden Heart" album, and one that he has brought to the stage on numerous occasions. This guitar has been Mark Knopfler's preferred creative partner for many years, shaping the sounds of some of the English guitarist's finest songs.
It's precisely this 1958 Les Paul Burst that the Gibson Custom Shop has based a limited series on. The finest craftsmen carried out several intensive and conscientious X-ray analyses of the original to reproduce the neck profile, top carving, look, feel and sound of Knopfler's original 58' Burst. It features a wonderfully weathered sunburst finish, period nickel hardware and carefully wound Custom Bucker PAF pickups to make it a stunningly realistic guitar compared to the original. The guitar available at Matt's Guitar Shop is an extraordinary example, one of the Artist Proof models destined to be validated by the master. As Artist Proof number 6, this Les Paul is an extraordinary, phenomenal-sounding prototype that packs Gibson's best efforts into one guitar. It's a rare Les Paul that precedes a highly successful limited edition in its own right, capturing the quintessence of Mark Knopfler's demanding sound... To be discovered only at Matt's Guitar Shop!
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Mark Knopfler
(1949)
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