Sultans of Swing — Dire Straits1 / 2
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Sultans of Swing Solo Guitar Tone Settings — Dire Straits

Dire Straits · 1970s · rock

studio

Original Recording

Guitar
1971 Fender Stratocaster (maple neck, stock single coils, rosewood fretboard, sunburst finish)
Pickups
Fender single-coil Stratocaster pickups (1971, stock)
Amp
Fender Vibrolux Reverb (silverface, late 1960s/early 1970s, 2x10 combo)
Pickup Position
Position 2 (bridge + middle)

Studio recording, 1977-1978. Guitar plugged straight into amp with minimal effects; solo section on original album version. No evidence of additional pedals except for a compressor (likely Dan Armstrong Orange Squeezer) and a slapback delay (MXR Analog Delay).

Amp Settings

Mids
6.5
Bass
5.5
Gain
2.5
Reverb
3
Treble
7.5
Presence
5.5

Effects Chain

  • Dan Armstrong Orange Squeezer · compression
  • MXR Analog Delay · delay

Fender Stratocaster → Dan Armstrong Orange Squeezer → MXR Analog Delay → Fender Vibrolux Reverb (spring reverb on)

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Tone Character

  • clean and glassy
  • bright and articulate
  • slightly compressed
  • touch-sensitive
  • warm mids
  • tight low end
  • percussive attack
  • dynamic response
  • slapback echo adds thickness
  • minimal breakup

Sources