The Mark Knopfler Signature Stratoscaster was introduced in 2002.  It is a 57-style ash body with 62-style C-shaped maple neck, rosewood fretboard and 21 medium-jumbo frets, gold “transitional” headstock decals and three Fender “Texas Special” single coil pickups with 5-way stitching.  For more information visit fender.com.

Fender also offers a Stratocaster Signature model series that features guitar legends such as Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Billy Corgan, Tom Delonge, Buddy Guy, Dave Murray, John Mayer, and Mark Knopfler.

The stratocaster or “strat” is a model of the electric guitar first designed in 1954.  “It is a double-cutaway guitar, with an extended top horn for balance while standing.”  The strat is considered the classic design for the electric guitar in the history of music.

Knopfler is currently wrapping up the North American leg of his Get Lucky World Tour.  For upcoming shows, visit markknopfler.com. If you want to see if he plays his signature strat, it will cost you the price of Mark Knopfler tickets!

Keep checking back for more Mark Knopfler news.

The highlight of the night was when Oasis lead singer Liam Gallagher accepted the award for Best BRITS album of the past 30 years. After words of thanks to band mates and fans, Gallagher launched the award and the microphone into the air before storming off stage.

Though Dire Straits has no reunion tour in the works, Mark Knopfler tickets are selling already for his tour starting in April!

The first sate added is in Atlantic City, NJ, where Knopfler will play a show at Caesars Circus Maximus. There will also be a show on May 9 at The Palace Theater in Albany, NY, and on June 30 at the Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam.

The release aims to draw attention to the plight of the Norwegian wolf, numbers of which have fallen so low that they are now on the endangered species list. The CD, Mother Earth Blues Vol 1, is available in Norway, Eire and the UK, as well as the world wide web. Check out motherearthblues.com for more info, and listen at myspace.com/wolvesofnorway.

His tour will kick off April 8 in Seattle, Washington, and run through July 31 in Gredos, Spain.

Songs from the lastest album include: “Border River”; “Hard Shoulder”; “You Can’t Beat the House”; “Before Gas and TV”; “Monteleone”; “Cleaning My Gun”; “The Car Was the One”; “Remembrance Day”; “Get Lucky”; “So Far from the Clyde”; and “Piper to the End”. There was also an extra song released on iTunes, and the deluxe edition album came with an additional CD that had three songs.

The album peaked at No. 17 on the U.S. Billboard 200.

The session will take place next year in Knopfler’s London studios. “I’m delighted to have helped make so much for such a wonderful cause,” he added.

The recordings range from the mid-70s with George’s ex-wife, Tammy Wynette, to the most recent recording from 2007 with his daughter, Georgette, the only child from the union of George and Tammy.

One man—Mark Knopfler.

Since the disbanding of Dire Straits in 1996, Knopfler has produced eight solo albums: Golden Heart, Sailing to Philadelphia, The Ragpicker’s Dream, Shangri-La, One Take Radio Sessions, The Trawlerman’s Son EP, The Best of Dire Straits & Mark Knopfler: Private Investigations, and most recently, Kill to Get Crimson.

Below are a list of dates and locations that Mark Knopfler will be playing in June.

June 24, 2008

Morrison, CO

Red Rocks Amphitheatre

June 25, 2008

Salt Lake City, UT

Abravanel Hall

June 26, 2008

Las Vegas, NV

The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

June 27, 2008

Los Angeles, CA

Greek Theatre

June 28, 2008

Berkley, CA

The Greek Theatre

June 29, 2008

Jacksonville, OR

Britt Pavilion