For travel information and a list of hotels in the area, please visit www.pensa-family.com.

For more information regarding guest artist, Richard Bennett, please visit www.richard-bennett.com.

Please visit the Rudy's Music Stop website at www.rudysmusic.com.

The "Pensa Guitars & Friends" concept stems from the passion of some Italian collectors for these custom made guitars and from their friendship with Rudy Pensa, probably the most famous electric guitar luthier in the world over the last 25 years.
Rudy Pensa, a native of Argentina, opened "Rudy's Music Stop" on 48th Street in New York City in 1978. Today, he is known worldwide and his hand-crafted electric guitars have become the preferred instruments by some of the world's most famous guitar players, notably Mark Knopfler whom Rudy met in the 1980s during the height of Dire Straits' fame. In 1985, Rudy and Mark Knopfler came up with the design for what has become one of the most sought after custom-made guitars in the world, the Pensa "MK-1".
These guitars are not only the product of the very highest craftsmanship but also of a genuine passion for the instrument itself. They have earned 'cult' status among guitar collectors due to their fine quality and limited numbers. Not surprisingly, today they are very valuable and sought after instruments which feature prominently in any quality publication on the history of electric guitar.
It was from the love of this wonderful and exquisite instrument that the idea to celebrate a "Pensa Guitars and Friends Day" was born. In September 2004 collectors, enthusiasts, Dire Straits and Mark Knopfler's fans, will be able to come together to attend a marvelous exhibition of Pensa guitars, assembled from collectors all over the world. There will also be the opportunity to meet Rudy Pensa himself who, mingling among visitors, will tell stories of a life dedicated to the world of music. And if that wasn't enough, there will be a two-hour blues and rock concert featuring Steve Phillips (Notting Hillbillies), Richard Bennett (member of Mark Knopfler's current band, the "96'ers"), Chris White (Dire Straits), and support band Solid Rock (the MK/DSKnopfler tribute band led by Marco Caviglia, approved and recommended by the Mark Knopfler News official web-site).
Now in its third year, the idea for the "Pensa Guitars & Friends" was formulated in July 2002 during three charity gigs that Mark Knopfler held in London. Mark himself so appreciated the idea that he gave his support by loaning his "Pensa-Suhr MK-1" (serial no. 001) for the guitar exhibition in 2002, the legendary guitar which was firstly played during the Rock Concert for Nelson Mandela at the Wembley Stadium in June 1988. In 2003 we were fortunate to again have Mark's support with the loan of his MK-2 and the Pensa guitar he played on the Neck & Neck collaboration with the sadly missed Chet Atkins.
The first and second Pensa days were highly successful, attracting large numbers of people and featured by several newspapers, in guitar magazines such as Guitar Club, and on TV by Italian National News Television (RaiNews24). This success now spurs us on to renew our efforts with the organization of the third "Pensa Guitars & Friends" day. This is an event we hope will become a truly annual international affair, in the sure and certain knowledge that it will be a meeting where you will experience the joy and the enthusiasm of people coming from all over the world…

Marco Caviglia/Valerio Barbantini