GuitarCleanRiff
Sultans of Swing Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Dire Straits
Dire Straits · 1970s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
1971 Fender Stratocaster
Pickups
Stock Fender single-coil pickups
Amp
Fender Vibrolux (early 1960s brownface 6G11/6G11-A)
Pickup Position
Position 2 (bridge + middle)
Studio recording, 1978. No evidence of pedals used for the riff section; amp is confirmed by multiple sources. Some sources mention Roland JC-120 and Ampeg VT-22 in Knopfler's experimentation, but the studio recording for the main riff is widely attributed to the brownface Vibrolux. No evidence of chorus or delay on the riff section; chorus was only available via JC-120, which is not confirmed for the main riff. All info is for the original studio version.
Amp Settings
Mids6.5
Bass5.5
Gain0
Reverb3
Treble7.5
Presence5.5
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Tone Character
- bright and articulate
- clean with slight edge
- touch-sensitive
- dynamic and percussive
- warm but clear
- slightly compressed
- no audible effects
- single-coil clarity
- snappy attack
- open and airy