Guitar Legends: Mark Knopfler – the guitarist with inimitable touch
With his unmistakeable fingerstyle playing, Mark Knopfler is in the pantheon of British guitar greats. Here’s a guide to his gear and a playlist that goes beyond the huge hits.
Image: Ebet Roberts / Redferns
With one of the most recognisable sounds in the history of modern guitar, Mark Knopfler is the sort of player that it’s sometimes best to just sit back and enjoy. You won’t likely to be able to play exactly like him.
With a career now into its sixth decade, Knopfler has sold over 120 million albums and can still sell-out Madison Square Garden at the age of 70 (2019). Even if his core sound is unmistakeable, he’s played a vast array of top-class new and vintage guitars over the years, which often change from album to album. We’ll try and summarise here…
In his own words…
“Success I adore. It means I can buy 1959 Gibson Les Pauls and Triumph motorcycles. But I detest fame. It interferes with what you do and has no redeeming features at all.”