This sharp fiesta red Strat and Pro Reverb sang beautiful Knopfler-esque melodies, but all that glitters isn’t gold.
A search for a fiesta red Stratocaster and a Knopfler tone didn’t turn out the way our columnist hoped it would.
The latest chapter of my quest for perfect sounds is a love story filled with surprises and valuable insights worth sharing about a fiesta red Stratocaster with a maple neck. Along the way, I’ll explain how I used it to dial in a timeless Mark Knopfler tone from old-school Fender amps.
My personal journey with this elusive guitar tone began at the age of 10, in 1985, when my mother, who was a music teacher, introduced me to Dire Straits’ Brothers in Arms album. Mark Knopfler’s melodic guitar and his signature Stratocaster and Les Paul sounds left a mark on my musical soul. However, I must confess that I'd never been particularly enamored with the looks of his fiesta red Strat. I have gravitated towards Fenders with rosewood necks and lighter body colors like vintage white, surf green, and shell pink.
It was in September of last year that everything changed. I found myself holding a pristine fiesta red Stratocaster in my hands, and a revelation occurred. The color, in real life, is far more nuanced than the intense and dark shades often depicted in magazine spreads or on screens. In the physical world, it’s a beautiful blend of pale red, carrot orange, and delicate pink undertones. It appears that cameras and screens simply cannot capture the true essence of this classic finish.
While browsing for guitars here in Norway, I stumbled upon a 1958 Fender Custom Shop Strat, crafted in 1997, which had been on sale for an extended period, causing its price to gradually decline. It seemed that the absence of the receipt, the certificate of authenticity (COA), and the “case candy,” coupled with the fiesta red finish’s apparent limited popularity, had contributed to the lowered price. I made the seller an offer of $2,090, which he graciously accepted. Today, it is hard to find any Custom Shop Stratocaster below $3,000 to $4,000. My purchase felt like a good deal.
The photos in the advertisement showcased the usual Fender Custom Shop badges and stamps on the headstock, neck plate, neck, and inside the body’s neck pocket. The neck bore a date stamp of February 18, 1997, and there were no telltale signs of other paint colors in the body’s neck pocket or the pickup cavity. With a minor setup, the guitar demonstrated impeccable playability and sustain reminiscent of a grand piano. I proudly and loudly played my newfound fiesta red for a week, eagerly looking forward to the next gig. The only tweak I considered was replacing the small vintage frets with 6105 stainless steel, enabling easier bending and shaking.
“Play from the heart, without overplaying, and you'll find yourself transported to the realm of ‘Sultans of Swing.’”
With my new Strat in hand, I once again set off in pursuit of the classic Knopfler sound. I gravitated towards amplifiers featuring light and low-powered 10" speakers known for their remarkable touch sensitivity. Think of the black-panel or early silver-panel Super Reverb or Vibrolux Reverb models with CTS alnico speakers, famously known for their pristine clean tones. Crank these amps’ volumes up to around 5 or 6, engage the bright switch, ditch your pick, and delicately pluck a set of light or medium strings using the combined bridge and middle pickup position. Play from the heart, without overplaying, and you'll find yourself transported to the realm of “Sultans of Swing.”
Things took an unexpected turn when I reached out to Fender to request a new COA. They responded quickly and asked for more close-up pictures of the wiring harness, pickups, and components. To my great surprise, they informed me that the serial number did not align with a fiesta red with a maple neck; instead, it corresponded to a ’60s flame maple top aged cherry sunburst, crafted in 1998. Even more disheartening was that the wiring, switches, and pots did not appear to be vintage-correct.
While I had heard rumors of discrepancies in Fender’s historical records, it was challenging to accept that my guitar could be a “partscaster” with mismatched components. Nonetheless, the absence of a COA significantly impacted the guitar’s secondhand value. What was I to do? As much as I enjoyed the instrument, the nagging feeling that something was wrong kept me awake at night. Ultimately, I contacted the seller and requested a refund. To my relief, he understood the situation and accepted the return. As a token of gratitude, I gifted him a bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
A lingering doubt remained: What if Fender’s records were incorrect? I may never have a definitive answer. And so, my quest for the perfect Knopfler fiesta red continues.
Stuck in a rut? Wu-Tang may be the answer.
By learning new songs, maintaining your gear, and watching Wu-Tang, you can become a better, more well-rounded musician.
One of the best parts of being a musician is being around other musicians, but that can also be the worst thing about it. If you want proof, consider the glut of musician jokes. My favorite is about how to get a bandmate to the gig on time, which involves lying about the time of the gig. I’m not always punctual, so it’s no surprise that by the time you read this, the window for New Year’s resolutions may be closed. So, in the spirit of being behind the band by an entire measure, here are my resolution picks for you to add to the existing pile.
Learn the intro and solo to Dire Straits’ “Sultans of Swing.”
Guitarists and civilians alike revere Mark Knopfler. In a world of dweedley, un-hummable solos, Knopfler’s semi-chicken picking is so identifiable that decoding and memorizing this song will be sure to break that faux-Metallica thing you’ve been doing since middle school.
Restring all your guitars.
I’m just as tardy as you are when it comes to changing strings—maybe worse. It’s really not so hard once you’ve done it 15 times in a row, assuming you only have 15 guitars. By then it shouldn’t take you more than 10 minutes each. Just for fun, buy a 10-pack of high E strings and break a few on purpose by over-tightening. This will teach you that it’s not going to poke your eye out after all. Life-changing.
Learn to intonate, while you’re at it.
This is another chore whose complexity is exaggerated beyond all reality. Compare an open string note to its octave at the 12th fret. If the octave is sharp, move the saddle away from the nut; if flat, go the other direction. This takes 5 minutes, and anyone who tells you different is a serious underachiever.
Reacquaint yourself with the actual sound of guitar.
This is scary, but you have to face your worst fears. Use the most powerful amp you have—hopefully 100 watts. Remove all effects pedals from the signal chain and turn the amp’s master volume all the way up. Lower the gain until there is zero distortion, and then play to a click track for four days. At your next band rehearsal, use this same setup and try to make it work. This is the equivalent of running with weights or banging your head against a wall because it will feel great when you stop. Don’t cheat by claiming a compressor isn’t really an effect.
Your style of music may not require the use of the major VII#11, but sometimes cool chords can spark new ideas for songs.
Let others take more solos.
Undoubtedly, you are the superior soloist in your circle of friends, but as a role model, you must do your bit to let others shine. This involves backing off on volume and supporting the soloist. Just pretend that you’re only doing what you wish the other players would do for you. Resist the temptation to jump in at all costs. This will go a long way to cementing your place as a benevolent dictator.
Learn to play the drums.
This may be biting off more than you can chew, but if pandemic lockdowns have taught us something, it’s that anything is possible. You don’t have to be Neil Peart; just learn rudiments and work on some good beats. This is really important if you are a bassist, but it will really strengthen your rhythm guitar chops, too. You can get a practice pad and sticks for about $25, so even if you bail on improving your timing and newfound appreciation for drummers, it’s not the end of the world.
Watch the Wu-Tang Clan documentary, Of Mics and Men.
It’s hard to break out of your own little bubble, but understanding the greater world of music is essential. Even if you’re already a fan, it’s good to know how genres evolve and influence other musicians. Bonus points if you watch with a guitar and play along.
Get that amp in the corner fixed.
Once consigned to the hinterlands of your music room, noisy or intermittent amplifiers just get worse. Bite the bullet and bring it to a good amp tech before things really deteriorate. It might just be something simple, and you’ll be happy you’ve supported a small music-related business too.
Learn some college chords.
This is important for your overall human development. You may have quit medical school, but you can still be a lifetime learner. Your style of music may not require the use of the major 7#11, but sometimes cool chords can spark new ideas for songs. And while you’re trying to get your fingers to obey, you might discover some other interesting chords, too.
I hope you take these resolutions to heart, and that they make you a better, wiser musician. Oh yeah … and try to be on time.
The British blues-rocker recalls the moment he first wanted to play guitar (and be Mark Knopfler) and details how the fingerpicker's melodic thumbprint has helped construct his own musical dialect.
Check out Davy's new album What Happens Next: https://davyknowles.com/buy-music