Sultans Of Swing (Dire Straits) guitar tone and amp settings
Sultans Of Swing guitar tone on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3: Clean amp type, clean (Gain 2), bright top (Treble 6.5), balanced lows (Bass 4.5), both pickups.
Settings for your amp
The song has distinct sounds: Solo. Each rig below lists what to change for them.
Sultans Of Swing settings on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3
BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3 settings for every songThese settings play the solo.
AmpBOSS Katana 50 Gen 3
GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers
The same settings in text
Amp
- Variation
- Off
- Amp Type
- Clean
- Gain
- 2
- Volume
- 5
- Bass
- 4.5
- Middle
- 5.5
- Treble
- 6.5
- Booster
- 0
- Mod
- 0
- FX
- 0
- Delay
- 0
- Reverb Color
- Green
- Reverb
- 1.5
- Master
- Set to your room
- Power Control
- Set to your room
Electric guitar with two humbuckers
- Pickup Selector
- Neck + Bridge
- Volume
- 10
- Tone
- 8
A Strat-style single-coil guitar better matches the original’s bright, clear attack.
Sultans Of Swing settings on a Positive Grid Spark 40
Positive Grid Spark 40 settings for every songThese settings play the solo.
AmpPositive Grid Spark 40
GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers
The same settings in text
Amp
- Amp Type
- Clean
- Gain
- 2.5
- Bass
- 4
- Mid
- 5
- Treble
- 6
- Master
- Set to your room
- Mod
- 0
- Delay
- 0
- Reverb
- 2
- Output
- Set to your room
- App Amp Model
- Black Duo
- App Drive
- Off
- App Comp/Wah
- LA Comp
- App Mod/EQ
- Off
- App Delay
- Off
- App Reverb
- Room Studio A
Electric guitar with two humbuckers
- Pickup Selector
- Neck + Bridge
- Volume
- 10
- Tone
- 8
Sultans Of Swing settings on a Fender Mustang LT25
Fender Mustang LT25 settings for every songThese settings play the solo.
AmpFender Mustang LT25
GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers
The same settings in text
Amp
- Amp Model
- TWIN CLEAN
- Gain
- 2.5
- Volume
- 5
- Treble
- 6
- Bass
- 4.5
- Middle
- 5.5
- Master
- Set to your room
- Stomp
- COMPRESSOR
- Mod
- None
- Delay
- None
- Reverb
- SPRING 65
Electric guitar with two humbuckers
- Pickup Selector
- Neck + Bridge
- Volume
- 10
- Tone
- 7
A Stratocaster would better reproduce the original single-coil middle-position tone.
Sultans Of Swing settings on any amp with Gain, Bass, Mid, Treble
These settings play the solo.
Amp
GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers
The same settings in text
Amp
- Gain
- 2.5
- Bass
- 4
- Mid
- 5.5
- Treble
- 7.5
Electric guitar with two humbuckers
- Pickup Selector
- Neck + Bridge
- Volume
- 10
- Tone
- 8
Add subtle compression and reverb for closer studio polish.
Why it sounds like that
Mark Knopfler played the song on his 1961 Strat, his main guitar for many years and basically the only guitar on the first album. The solo is just a Fender Twin and the Strat, with its three-way selector switch jammed into a middle position, and that gives the song its sound. A hire company brought a pile of amps and effects boxes to the sessions, yet his guitar was treated with just compression and reverb. He plays with his thumb and two fingers, doing things he could not do with a pick.
- Pick with your thumb and two fingers rather than a plectrum, since that lets you do things a pick cannot.
- Treat the fingers as the main tone control, because the sound comes from how the hand plays rather than the gear.
What amp did Mark Knopfler use on Sultans Of Swing?
- Guitar World says Knopfler's isolated guitar on the record is a Fender Strat. (on this song)[1]
- Knopfler said his '61 Strat was his main guitar for many years and basically the only thing he played on the first album. (on the album Dire Straits)[1]
- Solo: Knopfler said the solo's sound came from a Fender Twin and the Strat with its three-way selector switch jammed into a middle position, which he said gives the song its sound. (on this song)[1]
- MusicRadar says Knopfler's parts on the song were played on his Strat. (on this song)[2]
- Winwood said the sessions had a guitar hire company bring a pile of different amps and effects boxes into the studio. (on the album Dire Straits)[2]
- MusicRadar says the album guitar was treated with just compression and reverb. (on the album Dire Straits)[2]
- Guitar Player says the recording shows a very pure electric guitar tone. (on the album Dire Straits)[3]
- The debut album brought Knopfler's fingerstyle technique to the masses. (on the album Dire Straits)[3]
- Knopfler said he found himself doing things with just his thumb and two fingers that he could not do with a pick. (on the album)[4]
- Winwood said the sound comes from the way the brain sends signals to Knopfler's fingers, not the gear. (on the album Dire Straits)[2]
Questions
What amp did Mark Knopfler use on Sultans Of Swing?
The sources on this page document Mark Knopfler's gear on Sultans Of Swing by Dire Straits: guitar, 1961 Fender Strat [1]; amp, Fender Twin [1]. Each value cites the numbered source it comes from, listed at the foot of the page.
What are the Sultans Of Swing settings on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3?
For the Sultans Of Swing guitar tone on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3, set Amp Type Clean, Gain 2, Volume 5, Bass 4.5, Middle 5.5, Treble 6.5, Booster 0, Mod 0, FX 0, Delay 0, Reverb Color Green, Reverb 1.5; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Neck + Bridge, Volume 10, Tone 8. Set Master and Power Control to your room. These settings play the solo. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.
What are the Sultans Of Swing settings on a Positive Grid Spark 40?
For the Sultans Of Swing guitar tone on a Positive Grid Spark 40, set Amp Type Clean, Gain 2.5, Bass 4, Mid 5, Treble 6, Mod 0, Delay 0, Reverb 2, App Amp Model Black Duo, App Comp/Wah LA Comp, App Reverb Room Studio A; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Neck + Bridge, Volume 10, Tone 8. Set Master and Output to your room. These settings play the solo. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.
What are the Sultans Of Swing settings on a Fender Mustang LT25?
For the Sultans Of Swing guitar tone on a Fender Mustang LT25, set Amp Model TWIN CLEAN, Gain 2.5, Volume 5, Treble 6, Bass 4.5, Middle 5.5, Stomp COMPRESSOR, Mod None, Delay None, Reverb SPRING 65; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Neck + Bridge, Volume 10, Tone 7. Set Master to your room. These settings play the solo. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.
Can I get the Sultans Of Swing tone on my own amp?
Yes. The settings above cover 3 reference amps and any amp with the basic controls. For your exact rig, KnobMaster, an iPhone app, sets every knob of your own amp, guitar and pedals for Sultans Of Swing, using only the controls your gear has.
Get it for your exact rig
KnobMaster sets every knob of your own amp, guitar and pedals for this song.
Download KnobMaster on the App Store