Marshall DSL40CR settings
Money for Nothing settings for Marshall DSL40CR
Dire Straits · adapted 3 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Dire Straits "Money for Nothing" riff tone on a Marshall DSL40CR, set Gain 4.5, Bass 5, Mid 6, Treble 5, Presence 5, Resonance 5. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 0 and volume on 8-9.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Fender Stratocaster · updated 2026-11-10
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 0 · Volume 8-9
Marshall DSL40CR knobs
- Gain
- 4.5
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 6
- Treble
- 5
- Presence
- 5
- Resonance
- 5
- Reverb
- 1
- Tone shift
- 1
- Output power
- 1
Built-in effects
- Reverb on · 1
- 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.
- Experiment with palm muting for a tighter sound during the riff.
- Try to emphasize the attack on the strings to capture the distinct 'muddy' sound.
The original rig
What Dire Straits used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Marshall DSL40CR 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 Marshall DSL40CR settings for Money for Nothing?
Set Gain 4.5, Bass 5, Mid 6, Treble 5, Presence 5, Resonance 5.
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?
These settings were adapted for a Fender Stratocaster. 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 Boss Katana · 15
- 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
Popular songs on the Marshall DSL40CR
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Back in Black · AC/DC
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
- Highway to Hell · AC/DC
- Walk · Pantera
- Welcome To The Jungle · Guns N' Roses
- Iron Man · Black Sabbath
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
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.