A SOLID-BODY ELECTRIC GUITAR, LES PAUL SPECIAL

Mark Knopfler purchased this guitar from Gary’s Classic Guitars in Cincinnati, Ohio, in November 2005. The Les Paul Special was soon put to use on a session, when Knopfler recorded the electric guitar part for Nashville singer-songwriter Paul Burch’s song 'Before The Bells' at British Grove Studios in late 2005, which would be released on the album East To West in 2006. Photographed by keyboardist Guy Fletcher, the Special was seen in a guitar line-up at British Grove Studios in March 2009 during the last recording sessions for Knopfler’s 2009 solo studio album Get Lucky, though did not make it onto the final record.

GIBSON LES PAUL SPECIAL
The Les Paul Special was introduced by Gibson in 1955 to fill a price point void in their catalogue. The original standard Les Paul Model the brand was built on was marketed for $235 at the time, while the more luxurious Les Paul Custom was priced at $360. The single pickup budget-priced Les Paul Junior sold for $110. Recognising that guitars at the lower end of the value range sold at higher volumes, and aspiring to compete with the less expensive Fender Telecaster, Gibson introduced a two pickup version of the Les Paul Junior. The Special will always be associated with the 'limed mahogany' finish unique to Gibson. Though referred to later as 'TV Yellow', the finish was a translucent blonde colour, not too unlike a Fender finish though of better quality. Like all Les Pauls, it was a solid body with a single cutaway until late 1959, when the body style changed to a double cutaway.