Mark Knopfler tone with Wilshire

[Mr.Poker]

Hi,

I love Mark Knopfler's tone in the Album 'Alchemy' - it is a LIVE album, music 'Sultans of Swing'. I would love if somebody could listen to that and help me, because I would like do get that tone.

I have a Gibson Les Paul and an Ibanez artcore with Gibson Classic pickups. I think I can't get that tone with these guitars.

The problem is I don't like the design of stratos.

So I think about getting an Epiphone Wilshire with minis (http://www.epiphone.com/Products/Designer/Wilshire.aspx) and I think about putting the Seymour Duncan SM-1 mini.

Do you think I could get close to that tone?

Thanks.

[the guy who invented fire]

nope...

If you want those tones you are going to have to give in and go with single coils in a Strat.

Mark used the 4th position on a Strat all the time back in the day and thats the classic Knopfler sound and that sound really only lives in a Strat.

[wolf5150]

the key to his tone as well as the single coils is an orange squeezer compressor. I love the analogue man juicer, its awesome.

[IanBallard]

Yeah, he compresses the hell out of his tone so he can get sustain from a clean sound.

Yngwie had a Flying V made with Strat singles...

[the guy who invented fire]

The comp is a big part of the early Knopfler tone but I didn't mention it because a Strat is even bigger. I mean you can get real close with a Strat and a clean amp but with a humbuckers and a clean amp all the comps in the world won't help you.

[Mr.Poker]

Thank you all.

The fact is, I liked a lot the design of the Wilshire, but I would like it to have a tone closer to the strato, because I already have 2 guitars with humbuckers...

This is why I thought about these minis. I can't put single coils in the place of minis, can I?

[the guy who invented fire]

You can put P-90's in place of mini's with a little work but it still won't sound like a Strat

[the guy who invented fire]

You could go to the Custom Shop and get custom Strat pickups under P-90 shells or something similar but by the time you do that you'll have $500+ in the pickups...

[Mr.Poker]

The guy who invented fire,

The link is http://www.epiphone.com/Products/Des...-Wilshire.aspx

I didn't buy it.

So if you think it is not worth, maybe I will forget this idea.

[the guy who invented fire]

That's a cool guitar but you'll never make it sound like a Strat.

If you want something different than what you have go for it but it you want a Strat tone that's not the answer...

If you want the early Knopfler tone you need a Strat, in that case even a Telecaster isn't going to be right...

Marks tone was in the middle and bridge pickup...if you don't have that you're wasting your time.

[Mr.Poker]

Hi again,
Now let's forget the Wilshire...

So, to have the Mark Knopfler tone, which set up should I buy?
(Must be a strato with all 3 single coils, or could it have a humbucker in the bridge?)

Do you suggest any special pickup? (Maybe i am going to buy a cheaper strato and change the pickups...)

I am going to buy a compressor.

Sorry about the many questions...rs

[the guy who invented fire]

Hi again,
Now let's forget the Wilshire...
So, to have the Mark Knopfler tone, which set up should I buy?
(Must be a strato with all 3 single coils, or could it have a humbucker in the bridge?)
Do you suggest any special pickup? (Maybe i am going to buy a cheaper strato and change the pickups...)
I am going to buy a compressor.
Sorry about the many questions...rs

Marks signature sound was the 4th position which is the middle and bridge pickup so a humbucker in the bridge will really kill that sound but if you have to have a bucker in there just make sure to wire it up with a super switch so that the 4th position will split the bucker...it won't be exact but it will be closer than a bucker and a single together, however 3 singles will be the closest.

Pickups...Mark favored 2 stock Strats back in the old days so just about any vintage Strat pickup will do just fine...just keep 'em low output and alnico 5 and you'll be fine.

Compressor...not a must for those tones but it does help with sustain since Mark played clean and will even out picking dynamics since Mark finger picked everything and the right comp for the job is a Dan Armstrong Orange Squeezer which in addition to evening things otu and adding sustain will also fatten up the sound a little and add some nice harmonic overtrones.

I use a Hartman Compressor for that and I think it's a killer comp and it is based on the Orange Squeezer, the AnalogMan Juicer is another option and the JHS Pulp 'n Peel is another.

[GuitarDoc]

On a Strat switch, position 4 is middle and neck.

1 = bridge
2 = bridge and middle
3 = middle
4 = middle and neck
5 = neck.

[Mr.Poker]

the guy who invented fire,

Thank you very much!!

[gibson175]

yeh - you really need a strat.
as TGWIF said - low output, alnico 5:
SSL-1 set cant be beaten.

[stormrider]

yep strat for sure. However you could try some push pull (500) pot's in combo with a eq pedal and Compressor. Scoop out the mids, boast the highs split the humbuckers, play with both pickups on and play with your fingers. A lot of the Knopfler sound is in the plucked/finger picked vibe imo.

[the guy who invented fire]

On a Strat switch, position 4 is middle and neck.

1 = bridge
2 = bridge and middle
3 = middle
4 = middle and neck
5 = neck.

I count it backwards to what you do...

[the guy who invented fire]

Playing with the fingers is a big part of Marks tone too...the fingers have a softer attack than a pick.

[the guy who invented fire]

the guy who invented fire,

Thank you very much!!

Very welcome.

[GuitarDoc]

I count it backwards to what you do...

This is only the way I do it because it IS the conventional way of naming the switch positions.

Fender even supplies a diagram with their Strats that illustrates the switching in this manner. All of the Seymour Duncan wiring diagrams for a Strat 5-way are by this convention.

All of the information you have thus far supplied is very good, accurate, and helpful. But if you persist in an incorrect reference of switch positions, that mistake can make it very confusing to noobies. It would be like calling the "rhythm" position on an LP 3-way as the bridge pickup position and the "treble" position as the neck pup position.

I happen to agree with everything else that you have said.