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Riff Tone
Sultans of Swing (Live on the BBC 1978)
Dire Straits
Guitarrock1970s
Original Gear
Guitar1961 Fender Stratocaster
AmpFender 'Brownface' Vibrolux Amp 6G11 (1961-1963)
Amp Settings
gain0
bass5
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Notes
Live BBC 1978 performance; Mark Knopfler's main guitar and amp for this era; settings inferred from period-correct usage and available interviews. No evidence of additional amp heads or cabs. This is a live performance, not the studio recording.
Tone Character(10)
bright and articulateclean and glassydynamic and touch-sensitivewarm with slight midrange presencepercussive attack from fingerstyleout-of-phase quacksnappy transient responseclear note separationminimal compressionno audible drive or fuzz
Difficulty
The riff requires advanced fingerstyle technique, precise muting, and dynamic control to achieve the clean, articulate sound and rhythmic complexity characteristic of Knopfler's playing.
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Create Free AccountGuitarrock1970s
Original Gear
Guitar1961 Fender Stratocaster
AmpFender 'Brownface' Vibrolux Amp 6G11 (1961-1963)
Amp Settings
gain0
bass5
Create an account to see all tone details
Create Free AccountEffects & Signal Chain
Notes
Live BBC 1978 performance; Mark Knopfler's main guitar and amp for this era; settings inferred from period-correct usage and available interviews. No evidence of additional amp heads or cabs. This is a live performance, not the studio recording.
Tone Character(10)
bright and articulateclean and glassydynamic and touch-sensitivewarm with slight midrange presencepercussive attack from fingerstyleout-of-phase quacksnappy transient responseclear note separationminimal compressionno audible drive or fuzz
Difficulty
The riff requires advanced fingerstyle technique, precise muting, and dynamic control to achieve the clean, articulate sound and rhythmic complexity characteristic of Knopfler's playing.