Solo Tone

Money for Nothing

Dire Straits

Guitarrock1980s

Original Gear

GuitarGibson Les Paul Junior (original 1958, double cutaway, P-90 pickup)

AmpLaney Combo (2x12, likely L5 or L30, exact model not specified)

PickupsGibson P-90 single coil

Amp Settings

gain0

bass6

mid6.5

treble7.5

reverb2

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1984-1985, Brothers in Arms sessions. Clean section is rare; most of the song is the signature half-cocked wah sound. Clean tone is likely the same guitar/amp with wah disengaged or bypassed, as no evidence of a different setup for clean sections. No evidence of additional pedals or effects for clean part.

Tone Character(10)

clean and glassyarticulate and dynamicbright top endslightly scooped midstouch-sensitive responsesingle coil clarityminimal compressionstudio ambienceno audible modulationno drive or breakup

Difficulty

The clean section requires intermediate fingerstyle technique, dynamic control, and precise articulation to achieve the signature sound, but does not involve advanced soloing or complex chord voicings.

Sources

The “Money for nothing”-tone. | Toontrack Money for nothing tone and technique : r/Guitar - Reddit

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