Money for Nothing by Dire Straits — Amp Settings & Guitar Tone
Reference tone dialed on a Squier Classic Vibe Stratocaster into a Fender Mustang LT25. Settings below are cited from real sources; open the page in a browser for the interactive version, or get this tone dialed for your exact gear.
To recreate the iconic 'Money for Nothing' tone, we'll use the Squier Classic Vibe '60s Stratocaster and the Fender Mustang LT25. The Strat's single-coil pickups will be adjusted to mimic the humbucker sound, while the Mustang LT25 will emulate the Marshall Plexi crunch. The 'cocked wah' effect is not available, but we'll focus on achieving the mid-forward, nasal quality through EQ adjustments.
Signal chain settings
Squier Classic Vibe '60s Stratocaster — main riff guitar
| Control | Setting | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Pickup Selector | Bridge Pickup | Selects the bridge pickup to emulate the Les Paul's sharp, cutting tone. |
| Master Volume | 7 | Rolled off slightly to control the brightness of the single-coils. |
| Tone 1 | Leave at default | Not used for the bridge pickup. |
| Tone 2 | 5 | Set to 5 to tame the high-end and achieve a more mid-focused tone. |
Fender Mustang LT25 — main riff amp
| Control | Setting | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Preset | 04 CLASSIC ROCK | Closest preset to the Marshall Plexi sound required for the song. |
| Gain | 6.5 | Pushes the amp into a crunchy, overdriven state similar to the original recording. |
| Volume | 5 | Balanced to maintain clarity without overpowering the tone. |
| Treble | 6 | Adds brightness to match the nasal quality of the original tone. |
| Bass | 4 | Keeps the low end tight and focused, avoiding muddiness. |
| Master | 5 | Set to a moderate level to maintain dynamics and articulation. |
| Cabinet build | Not used | Not needed for this tone — leave it off. |
| Amp Models | Not used | Not needed for this tone — leave it off. |
Section guide — how the tone changes through the song
Main Riff
The main riff requires a heavily distorted tone with a sharp edge, emulating the studio setup with a Les Paul and Laney amp.
- the pedal: Gain → 7
What Dire Straits actually used
The distinctive guitar tone on 'Money for Nothing' was achieved through a combination of Knopfler's fingerpicking technique, the specific mic placement on the Laney amp, and the studio's signal processing chain. The recording took place at AIR Studios in Montserrat, with Neil Dorfsman as the producer.
- 1958 Gibson Les Paul Standard — main riff. bridge pickup
- Laney L5T-112 Lionheart — main riff amplification. mic'd with a Shure SM57
- Neve 31102 preamp — signal processing. EQ settings unknown
- Urei 1176LN compressor — signal compression. settings unknown
Tuning: Standard
Sources
- https://www.fender.com/en-US/squier-electric-guitars/stratocaster/classic-vibe-stratocaster-60s/0303010500.html
- https://www.manualslib.com/manual/1547905/Fender-Mustang-Lt25.html
- https://www.fender.com/en-US/guitar-amplifiers/contemporary-digital/mustang-lt25/2311100000.html
- https://www.manualslib.com/manual/3126493/Fender-Mustang-Lt25.html
- https://tonestakr.com/guides/how-to-sound-like-mark-knopfler/
- https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/classic-tracks-dire-straits-money-nothing
- https://www.guitarplayer.com/news/classic-tones-money-for-nothing-dire-straits