umm... OK, I'm not going to be able to fully answer what I think your questions are, but I'm not gonna let that stop me.. heh.

At first I thought "Why order a Knopfler?", but if you've got a dealer who'll do that for you without making you feel lousy about it, why not? Knock yourself out. In my opinion, though, you're not going to find a better guitar than the one you have for evaluation right now. If it were me, I would be done. Particularly since I don't really care for the colour of the Knopfler strat, which does look pretty fiesta-ish to me. I think Dakota red was a bit of a darker shade, but that Hot Rod red's got a similar orangey quality to the fiesta.

If you need to know the year for a custom shop serial number, you can email them and they'll tell you... I can't find a list of them with a simple search. Mine is R25696, and that's from 2005. I'd say it's from 2008, but that's an (un)educated guess.

I think your search is over... if you want it to be... heh.

Hey guys u know ive been on a quest to find myself the perfect fender stratocaster owning 3mexicans and 1 japenese fender, even with heavy modifying the mij fender is still my favorite . having said that there is still something missing the quality of wood the paint finish etc. is not the greatest. The roadworn was completely a dissapointment from that fake relicing to that enormous price increase without even a case to come with it GIVE ME A BREAK, so now fueled by extreme frustration ive jumped to what is supposed to be the best CUSTOM SHOP yes thats right in my home this very second im looking at a 6os model olimpik white mint green pickguard nitro finish with some custom shop bumps and bruises the serial no . is R40739 I have a close relation ship with the store owner who let me take it for a few days he went on vacation for a few days the girl working there gave it to me not knowingmuch about the guitar thats where u guys come in first off im in love the look the sound the feel but as u know with any seductress u should weigh your options i need your opinion just for the sake of things its come down to this custom shop or ordering the mark knopbler sig guitar the hot red 1 couple questions what year is the 60s white CS i have right now and is the MK hot red similiar to fiesta red

I was indeed after a MK guitar only to find that i cant have someone else's signature on my headstock. The thing that first drew me to the MK was the narrow nut width. It wasnt what i wanted in reality. I found a used Customclassic for less and as people in the know know, you cant beat a customshop neck. Theres a certain feeling to them that is indescribable. When i picked my deluxe up yesterday the guy had a shishkov twisted tele and 2 60's relics that all had the same felling in play.

Koocho as i said before, just give that customshop a couple of weeks and you'll start to notice the extreme comfort of it. No other guitar i've played has 'that feeling' signature models included.

Just for the OP's benefit, I happen to have seen a Knopfler Sig and a Fiesta Red Strat close to each other on a wall, and those reds are distinctly different. I guess Knopfler wanted it to be clear he wasn't imitating the Hank Marvin look too closely...

Cheers - C

ive only seen the Knopfler in pictures does that hot rod red look the same in person as it does on fender .com is the colour chart 100 percent accurate...

Theres only one red to have really, candy apple

Just my personal preference. Go for a customshop and have whatever colour you want. If all it comes down to is colour you havent been playing that customshop you have in your possesion enough.