GuitarCleanRiff80% confidence
Sultans Of Swing (Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London/1983) Guitar Tone Settings
Dire Straits · 1980s · rock
live
Original Recording
Guitar
Fender Stratocaster (likely 1961, maple neck, stock single coils)
Pickups
Fender single-coil pickups (stock 1961 Stratocaster)
Amp
Fender Vibrolux (early 1960s brownface, model 6G11/6G11-A)
Pickup Position
Position 2 (bridge + middle)
Live performance at Hammersmith Odeon, London, 1983. Mark Knopfler is known to use a Fender Stratocaster with stock single coils and a brownface Fender Vibrolux for Sultans of Swing live. No evidence of pedal use for the riff section; amp reverb likely used. Settings estimated based on typical clean Fender amp usage for this era and genre. No explicit evidence of effects pedals or additional amp effects for the riff section in this live version.
Amp Settings
Mids6.5
Bass5.5
Gain0
Reverb3.5
Treble7.5
Presence6
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Tone Character
- clean and sparkling
- bright and articulate
- dynamic and percussive
- warm with clear top end
- touch-sensitive
- slightly compressed
- clear note separation
- minimal breakup
- classic Fender clean
- fingerstyle clarity
Notes & Caveats
- Gain adjusted to 0 for clean tone
- No explicit numeric amp settings found for the 1983 live version; values estimated based on typical Fender Vibrolux clean settings for Stratocaster in classic rock context.
- No direct evidence of pedal use or additional effects for the riff section in this live performance; only amp reverb is likely.
- Pickup position inferred from Knopfler's well-documented use of Position 2 for Sultans of Swing, but not directly confirmed for this exact live version.
- Settings and effects are for the riff section only; solo section may differ.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Knopfler's 1983 live tone is bright, articulate, and slightly more driven than the studio version, but still clean and dynamic. He used a Schecter Strat with single coils into a clean Fender amp (often a Vibrolux or Twin), with mids and treble pushed for clarity and cut, moderate bass for tightness, and subtle reverb for space.