Latest about Dire Straits
Mark Knopfler says the lack of a guitar amp growing up helped him develop his now-iconic fingerpicking style
Sensitivity to his family’s finances – as well as an exchange involving his sister and a tennis racket – helped Knopfler on the way to crafting his legendary approach to the guitar
Mark Knopfler on how he enlisted Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and dozens more for the all-star Local Hero theme
Corralling dozens of A-list guitar talent onto one epic track, Mark Knopfler's Guitar Heroes pulled out the impossible to raise money for teen cancer charities – here's how it all went down
Mark Knopfler on the guitars he couldn't bear to part with, and the six-strings that surprised him on One Deep River
On the back of his stirring new album, the guitar icon discusses the primacy of songwriting, and how his relationship with the instrument has changed
“Some guitars are just that little bit special that they work their way in, you know?” Mark Knopfler on why he had to keep his Sultans of Swing Strat – despite selling his Money for Nothing Les Paul and the rest of his collection
The Dire Straits icon recently sold off his most famous and valuable instruments – but there were a few notable exceptions...
“Eric came in, played great, just one tasty lick after another. Jeff Beck’s contribution was spellbinding”: Mark Knopfler enlists Clapton, Townshend, Iommi, Slash and dozens more for all-star charity single
Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes raise funds for teenage cancer charities with an epic version of his Local Hero theme, featuring Jeff Beck’s final recording, and over 50 guitar legends – including David Gilmour, Joan Armatrading and Brian May
“These guitars illustrate the musical journey of one of popular music’s greatest artists”: Inside Christie’s’ epic $11.2 million Mark Knopfler guitar auction
We got an up-close look at some of the most storied, rare and collectible of Mark Knopfler's guitars, just before they went under the hammer
“Staggering”: Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Collection has sold at auction for over $11 million – with a record-breaking ’59 Burst sale and 28 guitars fetching over $100k
The 122 lot sale included the Dire Straits man’s Money for Nothing Les Paul and Walk of Life Schecter, alongside his custom Suhr guitars
“At four in the morning, I got a call from David Bowie. He said they needed a guitar player for Iggy Pop’s album”: As right-hand man for everyone from Mark Knopfler to Eric Clapton, ‘Session Man’ Phil Palmer more than earned his nickname
Armed with a Nocaster given to him by his uncle, the Kinks’ Dave Davies, Palmer became a go-to guitarist for some of music’s biggest names, landing an official role in Dire Straits – and narrowly missing out on playing Clapton’s MTV Unplugged set
“I never thought that my signature would be on anything – never mind Fenders, Gibsons, and Martins, they're the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost of guitars”: Mark Knopfler is selling off 120 guitars, including his Money For Nothing Les Paul
See the Scottish guitar great talk through highlights of his immense collection of signature models, custom builds and guitars used on Dire Straits’ most iconic tracks
“Let me know if you like it or you think I ruined it!” Dire Straits’ Sultans of Swing becomes Sultans of Shred as Sophie Lloyd gives the guitar anthem a high-gain makeover
Mark Knopfler's sultry single-coil runs get given a generous injection of searing shred tones in Lloyd's latest cover
