A SOLID-BODY TRANSPOSING TREMOLO ELECTRIC GUITAR, GL2T

Acquired directly from Steinberger Sound Corporation, both Mark Knopfler and guitarist Jack Sonni took receipt of their Steinberger GL2Ts just before Dire Straits' 12-month Brothers In Arms Tour kicked off in April 1985. The ‘Trans Trem’ was advertised by Steinberger as 'the only tremolo that gives you the freedom to bend an entire chord and stay in tune.' Interviewed by Bob Hewitt for Guitarist magazine in February 1986, Knopfler raved 'The Steinberger’s an amazing tremolo system. It really is fantastic. I use it occasionally, because I can’t play and hold the tremolo at the same time, so that’s one thing I can’t do… I’m into it though; I’m really into tremolo.' Knopfler used the Steinberger for performances of 'One World' on the European and North American legs of the tour through to the end of 1985. Photographs with special guest Billy Joel during rehearsals for the show at Madison Square Gardens on 12 October, which show Mark with his Steinberger, suggest that he may have used the headless guitar for their performance of 'Two Young Lovers' that night. Although Jack Sonni had ordered custom fronts for both guitars, it appears that they did not arrive until the second European leg of the tour, circa late October 1985, as photographs taken prior to this date show the original front on Mark’s guitar with the white Steinberger logo. Numerous photographs exist of Mark wielding the Steinberger throughout the tour, including by photographers Ebet Roberts, Paul Natkin, David Plastik and Chris Walter. Taking a brief break from the tour, the band filmed a performance of 'Money For Nothing' in a metro tunnel for the French television show Johnny Metro Blues on 20 November 1985. Both Knopfler and Sonni played their Steinbergers with new custom fronts. As noted by the October 1985 issue of International Musician and Recording World magazine, the custom gunmetal finish of Mark’s Steinberger matched his Porsche at the time. Knopfler mixed it up a little on the Australia and New Zealand leg of the tour in 1986, playing the band’s smash hit 'Money For Nothing' and, occasionally, 'Solid Rock' on the Steinberger, as can be seen at the final show of the tour at Sydney’s Entertainment Centre, recorded for broadcast on Australian network television on 26 April 1986.

After the tour drew to a close on 26 April, Knopfler and bassist John Illsley joined a supergroup that included Sting, Eric Clapton, Elton John and Phil Collins for The Prince’s Trust 10th Birthday Party on 20 June 1986 at Wembley Arena in London, to mark the first ten years of The Prince’s Trust. Among many spectacular numbers, the Prince’s All-Star Band performed Dire Straits’ 'Money For Nothing', with Sting on backing vocals and Knopfler on the Steinberger. The concert was filmed by the BBC, released on VHS in 1986, and remains available online via the Prince’s Trust Music channels. Although the guitar was not seen on stage after the 1980s, the Steinberger remained an invaluable instrument for travelling. 'I’ve just come back from holiday,' Knopfler told Vintage Guitar Magazine in 2001, 'and I took it with me and played it every day just so I could stay on top of things. It’s great to put it on your back or throw it into the luggage compartment of a plane. I used to use ‘em onstage; it’s a great guitar for touring. It’s strong as a truck.'

STEINBERGER
Ned Steinberger began his guitar making career in 1979 constructing electric basses and guitars in Brooklyn, New York. After founding the company Steinberger Sound, production was moved to a manufacturing facility in Newburg, New York, until the company was sold to Gibson in 1987. Ned introduced multiple innovations in electric guitar design that addressed ergonomics, materials and tonal response. With a body of carbon-graphite resin he reduced the weight of solid-body guitars. He dispensed with the headstock entirely and mounted a tailpiece that incorporated fine tuners for each string. This allowed for accurate and precise tuning for the player as well as shedding weight. Through materials and set-up Steinberger guitars are renowned for the clarity of tone and sonic articulation that is clean and immediate. These instruments gained a loyal following among professional guitarists in the 1980s: Mark Knopfler along with David Gilmour, Lou Reed, Johnny Winter, and David Bowie have all performed with Steinberger guitars.