Riff Tone

Sultans Of Swing (Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London/1983)

Dire Straits

Guitarrock1980s

Original Gear

GuitarFender Stratocaster (likely 1961, maple neck, stock single coils)

AmpFender Vibrolux (early 1960s brownface, model 6G11/6G11-A)

PickupsFender single-coil pickups (stock 1961 Stratocaster)

Amp Settings

gain0

bass5.5

mid6.5

treble7.5

reverb3.5

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Live performance at Hammersmith Odeon, London, 1983. Mark Knopfler is known to use a Fender Stratocaster with stock single coils and a brownface Fender Vibrolux for Sultans of Swing live. No evidence of pedal use for the riff section; amp reverb likely used. Settings estimated based on typical clean Fender amp usage for this era and genre. No explicit evidence of effects pedals or additional amp effects for the riff section in this live version.

Tone Character(10)

clean and sparklingbright and articulatedynamic and percussivewarm with clear top endtouch-sensitiveslightly compressedclear note separationminimal breakupclassic Fender cleanfingerstyle clarity

Difficulty

The riff requires advanced fingerstyle technique, precise syncopation, and dynamic control to achieve the clean, articulate sound characteristic of Knopfler's playing. The combination of rhythm complexity and technical demands makes it challenging for most players.

Sources

Dire Straits – Sultans of Swing - Gear & Equipment Used on the Single | Equipboard

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