Boss Katana settings
Money for Nothing settings for Boss Katana
Dire Straits · adapted 15 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Dire Straits "Money for Nothing" riff tone on a Boss Katana, set Gain 4.5, Bass 5, Mid 6, Treble 5, Presence 5, Reverb 1. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 0 and volume on 8-9.
Riff settings
updated 2026-09-24
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 0 · Volume 8-9
Boss Katana knobs
- Gain
- 4.5
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 6
- Treble
- 5
- Presence
- 5
- Reverb
- 1
- Solo
- 0
- Contour
- 1
- Power control
- 3
- Cabinet resonance
- 2
Built-in effects
- Reverb on (hall) · 4
- Delay off
Playing tips
- Use your amp's built-in reverb set to a moderate level to recreate the spacious feel of the original tone.
- Consider using a wah pedal to mimic the 'cocked wah' effect for the main riff.
- Play with a strong attack to emphasize the punchy, mid-heavy character of the riff.
Solo settings
Adapted for a Squier Stratocaster · updated 2026-03-12
- Pickup
- Neck + Middle
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 6-7 · Volume 8-9
Boss Katana knobs
- Gain
- 6
- Bass
- 5.5
- Mid
- 6.5
- Treble
- 7
- Presence
- 6
- Reverb
- 0
Built-in effects
- Reverb off
Playing tips
- Use fingerstyle for more dynamics and articulation.
- Maintain a consistent picking attack for clarity in notes.
- Experiment with slight palm muting to control sustain and punch.
The original rig
What Dire Straits used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Boss Katana actually has.
- Guitar
- 1958 Gibson Les Paul Standard
- Amp
- Laney amplifier (exact model not confirmed, but cited as used in studio); some sources mention Ampeg SVT-VR or Marshall JTM45, but Laney is most directly cited for the studio riff recording
- Gain
- 4.5
- Bass
- 6.5
- Mid
- 6
- Treble
- 6
- Presence
- 6
- Reverb
- 3
Different guitar or pedals? Get Money for Nothing adapted to your exact rig
These settings were generated for the gear named above. ToneAdapt adapts Dire Straits's tone to your own guitar, pickups, amp and pedals in seconds.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Boss Katana settings for Money for Nothing?
Set Gain 4.5, Bass 5, Mid 6, Treble 5, Presence 5, Reverb 1.
Which pickup should I use for Money for Nothing?
Bridge pickup, with the guitar's tone at 0 and volume at 8-9.
What gear did Dire Straits use on Money for Nothing?
Guitar: 1958 Gibson Les Paul Standard. Amp: Laney amplifier (exact model not confirmed, but cited as used in studio); some sources mention Ampeg SVT-VR or Marshall JTM45, but Laney is most directly cited for the studio riff recording.
Will these settings work with my guitar?
Different pickups change how much gain and treble you need. ToneAdapt adapts the tone to your exact guitar, pickups, amp and pedals.
Money for Nothing on other amps
- Money for Nothing on Fender Mustang LT25 · 25
- Money for Nothing on Fender Frontman 10G · 4
- Money for Nothing on Boss Katana 50 Gen 3 · 4
- Money for Nothing on Fender Champion 20 · 3
- Money for Nothing on Fender Champion II 25 · 3
- Money for Nothing on Line 6 Spider · 3
- Money for Nothing on Positive Grid Spark 2 · 3
More Dire Straits on the Boss Katana
All Dire Straits tones →Popular songs on the Boss Katana
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Walk · Pantera
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
- Back in Black · AC/DC
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- Raining Blood · Slayer
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
- Welcome to the Jungle · Guns N' Roses
- Smells Like Teen Spirit · Nirvana
Settings are generated by ToneAdapt's tone adaptation for the gear named on this page and are a starting point — every amp, guitar and room is a little different.