This is a 12 (double 6) string guitar. Mark used the guitar on Angel of mercy during the On location tour in 1981. Click here and here and here for some pictures of that early period. On 20th June 1986, Mark used the guitar again at the Prince's Trust Rock Gala on the song Sailing by Rod Stewart. According to Hal Lindes, Mark also used it on Portobello Belle.

This is Mark's other 12 (double 6) string guitar. Richard Bennett used it in March 2009 on the studio version of Cleaning my gun and used it live for that song aswell on tour; Get lucky tour (2010), European tour with Bob Dylan (2011), US & Canadian tour with Bob Dylan (2012) and the Privateering tour (2013).
 

A solid-body electric jazz guitar, split sound.

The model nameplate applied to the headstock JAZZ GUITAR / SPLIT SOUND, engraved on the pickguard BURNS / LONDON and on the neckplate SERIAL No. 1096 / PATENTS APP. / 35877 / 37732 / 43736 / MADE IN ENGLAND, the finish of a turquoise blue colour.


Mark Knopfler purchased this guitar in May 2004 and kept it for occasional home and studio use. Knopfler’s guitar tech Glenn Saggers told that, on first arrival, every guitar would spend time in Mark’s hands so he could get an idea of the sound and where a particular guitar might fit in a particular song. This guitar was tried during the recording process but, ultimately, did not fit the song.

The blue Split Sound was, however, featured in the promotional shoot for Knopfler’s 2007 solo studio album Kill to get crimson, seen in the background to the left of the abacus. See another picture here. Photographed by Fabio Lovino, the resultant publicity shots were used for the album’s liner notes. The shoot was also captured in Tom Bird’s short documentary film that accompanied the CD/DVD album set.



This guitar was auctioned at Christie's in London on 31st January 2024. It was sold for 27.720 Pounds.

 

 

A solid-body electric jazz guitar, split sound.

The logo BURNS / LONDON, engraved on the pickguard and JAZZ GUITAR / SPLIT SOUND applied to the headstock, the neck plate engraved BRIT. PAT. APP. / 917830 43736 / 35877 37732 / 911082 911083 / 913925 / U.S. PAT 196530 / MADE IN ENGLAND / SERIAL No. 10313, the finish of a red-black sunburst.

Mark Knopfler purchased this guitar from the New York String Service in Brooklyn, New York, in January 2006 and kept it for occasional home and studio use.

The sunburst Split Sound features in the promotional shoot for Knopfler’s 2007 solo studio album Kill to get crimson, seen in the background on the far left of the armchair. Photographed by Fabio Lovino. The shoot was also captured in Tom Bird’s short documentary film that accompanied the CD/DVD album set.


This guitar was auctioned at Christie's in London on 31st January 2024. It was sold for 22.680 Pounds.

The logo BURNS / LONDON engraved on the pickguard and BISON GUITAR applied to the headstock, engraved at the neckplate SERIAL NO. 2352 / PATENTS APP. / 43736 / 35877 / 37732 / MADE IN ENGLAND, finish of a white colour.


After specifically searching for a white Bison, Mark Knopfler purchased this rare guitar from Music Ground Ltd in Doncaster, England, in October 2007.

See here a closeup of the pickups and here for the pickups, tremelo cover and tremelo arm, both featuring a Bison logo.

Knopfler’s guitar tech Glenn Saggers told that, once purchased, every guitar would spend time in Mark’s hands so he could get an idea of the sound and where a particular guitar might fit in a particular song.

Photographed as one of a line-up of electric guitars in Studio 2 at British Grove Studios by keyboardist Guy Fletcher for his May 2011 online studio diaries, this guitar was tried during the recording process, yet never made it on to a record.

From time to time, Knopfler kept this guitar in his study for home use.

 

This guitar was auctioned at Christie's in London on 31st January 2024. It was sold for 21.420 Pounds.

The logo BURNS / LONDON engraved on the pickguard and BISON / BASS applied to the headstock, the neckplate engraved SERIAL NO. 3131 / PATENTS APP. / 43736 / 35877 / 37732 / 911083 / 911082 / MADE IN ENGLAND, the finish of a white colour.

Mark Knopfler acquired this white Bison bass in 2007 as a pair to the white Bison guitar (see above).

 

This guitar was auctioned at Christie's in London on 31st January 2024. It was sold for 17.640 Pounds.