Money for Nothing
Nasal, honking midrange riff that set out to sound like ZZ Top.
What is the Money for Nothing guitar tone?
The Money for Nothing guitar tone is nasal, honking midrange riff that set out to sound like ZZ Top, heard on Dire Straits' 1980s rock recording. It is a distorted riff tone, and Dire Straits reportedly tracked it with Mark Knopfler's Gibson Les Paul, played with his fingers into a Laney amp, with microphones left in odd positions giving a sound nobody could repeat later. Much of this character comes from an amp worked hard rather than from a pedal, so master volume and pickup output matter more than the gain knob.
You do not need that exact gear to land in the same place. What carries this sound is the gain structure, the EQ curve, the pickup choice and the order of the effects, and all four can be rebuilt on equipment that costs a fraction of the original. The numbers change from amp to amp, because a high-gain head and a small practice amp reach the same voicing from different knob positions. That translation is what Tonelify works out for the rig you actually own.
Money for Nothing amp settings: a starting point
On a generic five-knob amp, start at Gain 5, Bass 5, Middle 6, Treble 6, Presence 5, Reverb 2, with the bridge pickup.
- Signal chain
- Amp distortion → Spring reverb
- The control that matters most
- Middle. The honk came from how the amp was miked rather than from gain, so push the mids and pull the bass back instead of adding distortion.
These positions are free and they are a starting point. A Katana, a Spark and a valve head reach this voicing from different knob positions, so Tonelify rewrites every value above for the amp and guitar you own.
Adapt these to my amp- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
These are positions on a generic five-knob amp with gain, bass, middle, treble and presence, each running 0 to 10. They are a starting point, not the settings used on the record, and they will not transfer unchanged to an amp with a different gain structure or EQ voicing. If you tell Tonelify which amp you own, it rewrites every value above for the controls that amp actually has.
What gear did Dire Straits use on Money for Nothing?
Mark Knopfler's Gibson Les Paul, played with his fingers into a Laney amp, with microphones left in odd positions giving a sound nobody could repeat later.
Sources: Guitar Player: Classic Tones, Money for Nothing, Songfacts: Money for Nothing, Wikipedia: Money for Nothing (song)
Tonelify reads that chain and translates it to the amp and guitar you already own, returning gain, bass, mids, treble and presence values along with a pickup position.
How do you get the Money for Nothing tone on your own amp?
Tell us your guitar, amp, and pedals
AI researches the original Money for Nothing tone
Get exact knob settings adapted to your rig
Money for Nothing tone questions
What amp settings do you need for Money for Nothing?
On a generic five-knob amp, start at Gain 5, Bass 5, Middle 6, Treble 6, Presence 5, Reverb 2, with the bridge pickup. These are positions on a generic five-knob amp with gain, bass, middle, treble and presence, each running 0 to 10. They are a starting point, not the settings used on the record, and they will not transfer unchanged to an amp with a different gain structure or EQ voicing. Tonelify rewrites the same values for the specific amp and guitar you own, because a high-gain head and a small solid-state combo reach the same nasal, honking midrange riff that set out to sound like zz top from different positions.
What is the most important control for the Money for Nothing tone?
Middle. The honk came from how the amp was miked rather than from gain, so push the mids and pull the bass back instead of adding distortion.
Can you get the Money for Nothing tone without the original gear?
Yes. The original was tracked with Mark Knopfler's Gibson Les Paul, played with his fingers into a Laney amp, with microphones left in odd positions giving a sound nobody could repeat later, but the parts that define the sound are the gain structure, the EQ curve, the pickup position and the effects order. Those translate to other equipment, which is what the adaptation step does.
Is Money for Nothing a rhythm or a lead tone?
It is a riff part with a distorted character, from Dire Straits' 1980s rock catalogue.
Does Tonelify cost anything to try?
Both plans start with a 7-day free trial and nothing is charged until it ends. Stage is metered and Headliner is unlimited within a fair use limit of 150 new matches a day, and yearly billing works out cheaper on both; the current prices are on your account page once you have one. Reading this page and the rest of the library costs nothing and needs no account.