GuitarCleanRiff
Tunnel of Love Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Dire Straits
Dire Straits · 1980s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Fender Stratocaster (likely 1961-1962, sunburst, maple neck)
Pickups
Fender single-coil Stratocaster pickups
Amp
Music Man HD-130 (studio recording, 1980)
Pickup Position
Position 2 (bridge + middle)
Studio recording, 1980; 'Making Movies' album. Mark Knopfler used his sunburst Stratocaster with stock single-coil pickups. The amp was a Music Man HD-130, which was his main studio amp for this era. No evidence of other guitars or amps used for the main riff section.
Amp Settings
Mids5
Bass5
Gain3
Reverb2.5
Treble7
Presence5.5
Effects Chain
- Compressor pedal (model unknown) · compression
- MXR Analog Delay · delay
Fender Stratocaster → Compressor pedal (slight) → MXR Analog Delay (slap-back) → Music Man HD-130 (spring reverb)
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Tone Character
- bright and articulate
- clean and dynamic
- touch-sensitive response
- slightly compressed
- clear note separation
- warm but not muddy
- subtle slap-back echo
- country-inspired twang
- percussive attack
- open, airy highs