GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
Money For Nothing (Live) Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Dire Straits
Dire Straits · 1980s · rock
live
Original Recording
Guitar
Gibson Les Paul Standard 1958 (used live for riff section)
Pickups
Gibson PAF humbuckers
Amp
Marshall-style amp (exact model not confirmed, likely JCM800 or similar, used live)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Live performance, not the studio recording; Knopfler used his 1958 Les Paul with humbuckers for the riff, with a Marshall-style amp and a wah pedal set to a fixed position to approximate the studio tone. Year: mid-1980s (Brothers in Arms tour).
Amp Settings
Mids6.5
Bass4
Gain6
Reverb2
Treble7
Presence6
Effects Chain
- Wah pedal (set to fixed/cocked position, model unknown) · wah
Gibson Les Paul Standard → Wah pedal (fixed position) → Marshall-style amp (spring reverb on low)
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Tone Character
- mid-heavy and nasal
- cocked-wah filtered
- biting and compressed
- percussive fingerstyle attack
- distinctive, almost synthetic drive
- not overly saturated
- tight and focused
- slightly rolled-off highs
- aggressive bridge pickup punch
- ZZ Top-like crunch
Notes & Caveats
- No official live rig rundown for this specific tour/year; amp model inferred from multiple sources referencing 'Marshall style' and typical 1980s live rigs.
- Exact pedal models not confirmed for live; wah pedal use is confirmed by multiple sources and is clearly audible in the riff.
- Settings are averaged from forum suggestions and typical Marshall amp behavior for this genre/era.
- Presence and reverb settings estimated based on genre and live context.
- Studio tone used a Laney amp and more studio trickery; this is the live setup.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Knopfler's 'Money For Nothing' live riff tone is crunchy but not high gain, with pronounced mids and treble for cut and clarity, using his signature fingerstyle and a Les Paul through a cranked Marshall. The bass is moderate to avoid muddiness, presence is boosted for air, and reverb is minimal as most ambience comes from the venue.