Just thinking out loud: wouldn't it be cool to see a reissue of the Les Paul used by Mark Knopfler for Money for Nothing on Brother in Arms created by the Gibson Custom Shop?
I mean, the Gibson Custom Shop have launched so many Inspired By guitars from legendary rock players just in the past 12 months: Slash, Jeff Beck, Billy Gibbons, Robby Krieger...
I'd so like to see a reissue of that guitar that sends shiver down my spine every single time I hear Money for Nothing - you know just after that crazy keyboard and drum intro when these crazy things stop and that beautiful G guitar riff kicks in.
Very often when I try out a Les Paul, I use that riff. Not passing the "Money for Nothing" test is a deal breaker.
And don't even mention the song Brothers in Arms. To me, one of the most beautiful guitar parts ever recorded -the tone, the melody, the feel.
So, I tried to find out a bit more about this particular Les Paul that Knopfler used. While MK owns both a 58 and a 59 vintage Les Paul, then he used a reissue built in 1984 -I'm guessing he didn't have the "real deal" then. So this baby was almost brand new by the time of recording. I hear people complaining all the time about the quality of Gibsons from the 80's. Definitely, this one received particular attention (maybe some sort of masterbuilt).
From this very antique website:
This is a reissue of a late 50ies Les Paul Standard, built in 1984.Sure, I don't know what a 2009 reissue of a 1984 reissue of a 1959 Les Paul would be like but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be the only one to put my name on the list for one of those.
Mark used it a lot on Brothers in Arms (Money for Nothing, Brothers in Arms).
This picture was taken on Live Aid in 1985.
So, pleeeease Gibson Custom Shop, get this on your todo list if it's not already there! By the way, my birthday is at the end of July...just saying.
No join me all of you: I WANT MY. I WANT MY RE-ISSUE!
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2 comments:
Can you help identify my 1985 reissue 9 0016 maybe a twin to Knopfler's 1985 9 0006?
I bought new on 7-27-1985 as “Les Paul Reissue Std. S/B” from music Lightning Music and Sound, Austin, TX for $799. I believe this was a sales price as they had the guitar awhile. They gave me a Gibson Pre 2 case – I think referred to generally as a “Chainsaw” case – which I have since replaced with a classic brown Heritage case.
The salesman, looks like he signed as J. Rebiski, said he was the Gibson representative in Dallas area when a music store there told him to have Gibson grab the first new reissue Les Paul off the line that they could. This is serial number in ink on back 9 0016. I think it is likely a 1984. (Maybe the store was Arnold and Morgan or Jimmy Wallace I have read about?) The store he was referring to closed and this store bought some of the stock. He told me they had the guitar for a year or so and couldn’t sell it, because local musicians didn’t know what it was, and it was priced at quite a bit – I think it was more than I paid. I was interested because I wanted to replace my original 1960 serial 0 1485. At the time I thought my original was a 59, but my lead player who kept it and sold it in 2009, said it was a 60, and gave me the number.
Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits owns serial 9 0006 and used it on Brothers in Arms album. His is a 1984 and I think likely made around the time mine was.
The headstock is 3” wide at top and 2 5/8” at bottom before it curves in.
It weighs 9 pounds exactly.
Pots are R137 8323 –two of them and R137 8313 two of them, meaning they were made at latest date 23rd week of 1983 by CTS Chicago Telephone Supply.
It has a solid mahogany body and neck with no volute. It has tiny black fret dots. The plastic control covers are black. There are no numbers or markings inside.
When I bought it, it had no guarantee or registration; they said to write to Gibson. I received a letter from Gibson in Nashville from Eva Green, Special Functions Analyst, Sales, and dated August 15, 1985. Even at that early date they could only say it was the 16th one made and they did not have production records to indicate how many had been made or shipped to date. They sent me a small Gibson generic owner’s manual and said that letter would serve as my registration and warranty, and they would give my info to their data department.
I was with Les Paul at his 75th birthday party in NYC in 1990 and he signed my pick guard.
You can contact me at murphy@eclipse.net
I have 9 0008 and it's for sale on eBay right now.
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