A SOLID-BODY ELECTRIC GUITAR, SILVERTONE, 1452 HORNET

Acquired in 2003, Mark Knopfler used this guitar extensively during recording of his fourth solo studio album Shangri-La at the legendary Shangri-La Studios in Malibu, California, from February to March 2004. With its retro tone enriching Knopfler’s reflections on 1960s American culture, the Silvertone can be heard on the tracks 'Stand Up Guy', 'Don’t Crash The Ambulance' and lead single 'Boom, Like That', a sardonic portrait of the rapacious McDonalds founder Ray Kroc. 'A lot of it is about a time in the 60s when there was quite a lot of innocence about,' Mark explains in the official album documentary. 'There are figures in the background like Col. Parker and Kroc, and I have a couple of songs about people who… saw themselves as visionaries.' Knopfler is seen playing the red sunburst guitar in the official music video for 'Boom, Like That', filmed during the recording sessions at Shangri-La. As part of a promotional tour following the release of the album in September 2004, Knopfler performed 'Boom, Like That' on the Silvertone for various television and radio appearances through to December, including performances on NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in Burbank on 5 October 2004, and the Bambi awards in Hamburg, Germany, on 18 November 2004. When the Shangri-La Tour kicked off in South Africa on 28 February 2005, Knopfler strapped on this distinctive Danelectro for every performance of 'Boom, Like That', including five nights at the Royal Albert Hall in London, through to the close of the tour on 31 July 2005 in Vancouver.