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Going Home (San Antonio Live In 85) Guitar Tone Settings
Dire Straits · 1980s · rock
live
Original Recording
Guitar
Schecter Stratocaster-style (Dream Machine, red, maple neck, rosewood fretboard, F520T & F521T pickups)
Pickups
Schecter F520T (neck), F521T (bridge) single coils
Amp
Mesa/Boogie Mark IIB or Mark III Combo 1x12
Pickup Position
Position 4 (neck + middle)
Live performance, San Antonio 1985. Guitar confirmed as Schecter Strat-style Dream Machine (red), amp as Mesa/Boogie Mark IIB/III per 1985 tour rig. No evidence of Marshall or Soldano for this song/era. Settings estimated for live Mesa/Boogie clean/edge-of-breakup tone. Effects chain based on 1985/86 tour pedalboard.
Amp Settings
Mids6.5
Bass6
Gain4
Reverb3
Treble7
Presence6
Effects Chain
- Boss CS-2 Compression Sustainer · compression
- Boss CE-2 Chorus · chorus
- Boss BF-2 Flanger · flanger
- Boss DM-2 Delay · delay
Guitar → Boss CS-2 Compression Sustainer → Boss CE-2 Chorus → Boss BF-2 Flanger → Boss DM-2 Delay → Mesa/Boogie Mark IIB/III Combo (spring reverb on amp)
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Tone Character
- bright and glassy
- touch-sensitive and dynamic
- slightly compressed
- chorus shimmer
- clear note separation
- edge-of-breakup drive
- modulation swirl
- tight and percussive rhythm
- warm low end
- moderate live reverb
Notes & Caveats
- No direct photo/video of the exact pedalboard for this specific San Antonio show, but 1985/86 tour pedalboard is well documented and matches audible effects.
- Amp settings are estimated based on typical Mesa/Boogie Mark IIB/III live usage for Knopfler in 1985, as no numeric settings are published for this song.
- Pickup selector inferred from typical Knopfler live tone and audible position 4 'quack' in the riff.
- Exact pedal settings not available; pedal models and order are based on tour documentation and audible effects.
- If alternate amp (Marshall JTM45) was used for other songs, no evidence it was used for this live performance.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Mark Knopfler's tone in this live 1985 performance is edge-of-breakup with a touch of grit, typical of his Strat into a clean/crunchy amp (likely a Soldano or Mesa/Boogie, possibly a Music Man), with mids and treble pushed for clarity and articulation, moderate bass for warmth, and subtle reverb for live ambience.