Riff Tone

Down to the Waterline

Dire Straits

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

Guitar1977 Fender Stratocaster (stock, maple neck, sunburst finish)

AmpMusic Man 212-HD 130

PickupsFender single-coil Stratocaster pickups (1970s stock)

Amp Settings

gain0

bass6

mid6.5

treble7.5

reverb2.5

presence5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1978. Mark Knopfler used his 1977 Fender Stratocaster into a Music Man 212-HD 130 amp for the debut Dire Straits album. No evidence of other guitars or amps for this riff section. Effects were minimal; slapback delay was achieved via mixing desk or MXR Analog Delay for live, but studio used desk echo for intro, not main riff.

Tone Character(10)

glassy and articulatepercussive attackdynamic fingerstyle responsewarm low endopen, airy highsslight slapback echo (intro only)tight and focusedminimal sustainclear note separationtouch-sensitive dynamics

Difficulty

The riff requires intermediate fingerstyle technique, dynamic control, and precise articulation to achieve the percussive, clean sound characteristic of Knopfler's playing.

Sources

Mark Knopfler's Guitars, Amps, Pedals & Other Gear | Equipboard Mark Knopfler-Dire Straits tone-which amp? - The Gear Page What guitar setup did Mark Knopfler have? : r/direstraits - Reddit what effects pedals were primarily used on guitar? : r/direstraits

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