GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
Money for Nothing Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Dire Straits
Dire Straits · 1980s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
1958 Gibson Les Paul Standard
Pickups
Gibson PAF humbuckers
Amp
Marshall JTM45 45W Tube Guitar Amp Head
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1984-1985 for 'Brothers in Arms'. Multiple sources confirm the use of a 1958 Les Paul and Marshall JTM45 for the riff section. Some sources mention a Laney amp, but the JTM45 is most consistently cited for the studio recording. Wah pedal set to a fixed position was used as a filter. No evidence of other pedals or effects for the riff section.
Amp Settings
Mids6.5
Bass4
Gain6.5
Reverb0.5
Treble7.5
Presence6.5
Effects Chain
- Wah pedal (model unknown) · wah
1958 Gibson Les Paul Standard → Wah pedal (fixed position) → Marshall JTM45
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Tone Character
- vocal, cocked-wah filtered midrange
- nasally, honky upper-mids
- percussive, biting attack
- tight, compressed crunch
- distinctive filtered drive
- bridge humbucker clarity
- dynamic fingerstyle articulation
- minimal low end
- ZZ Top-inspired saturated tone
- unique, instantly recognizable riff sound
Notes & Caveats
- No official studio documentation of exact amp knob settings; values estimated based on multiple forum sources and typical Marshall JTM45 usage for this genre/era.
- Some sources mention a Laney amp, but the Marshall JTM45 is most consistently cited for the studio recording.
- No evidence of delay, chorus, flanger, or reverb on the riff section; only a cocked wah filter is confirmed.
- Wah pedal model is not specified in sources; listed as 'Wah pedal (model unknown)'.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Knopfler's 'Money for Nothing' riff uses a Les Paul into a cranked JCM800 with a very biting, mid-forward, and bright tone; the gain is set for classic crunch, with pronounced mids and treble for cut, moderate bass to avoid muddiness, high presence for clarity, and minimal reverb as the track is quite dry.