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Boss KatanaDistortedRiffRock

Money for Nothing on a Boss Katana

Dire Straits

Written for the Katana 50 MkII and the Katana 50 Gen 3, which share these knobs. The Katana 100 adds a Presence knob, and its value is given under the panel.

Money for Nothing Boss Katana settings: a starting point

On a Boss Katana, select the Crunch amp type and start at Gain 5, Bass 5, Middle 6, Treble 6 and Reverb about 2, with the bridge pickup.

Crunch amp typeMoney for Nothing on the Katana
  • Gain 5
  • Bass 5
  • Middle 6
  • Treble 6
  • Reverb about 2

The Katana 50 has no Presence knob. On a Katana 100, set Presence to 5.

Positions on a 0 to 10 scale, with 5 at twelve o'clock. These are Tonelify's starting points for the Katana, written from the documented rig and BOSS's manual. They are not BOSS's numbers and not the settings on the record.

Picked by gain range

Which Boss Katana amp type for Money for Nothing?

Crunch. Knopfler's Les Paul went into a Marshall JTM45 and a Laney 4x12, with a Cry Baby wah as the only significant pedal. BOSS names no real amp behind the Katana's types, so go by gain: Crunch in the middle of its range is a fat crunch, and the record's honk came from how the amp was miked, not from distortion.

Pick the amp type first: it changes the gain structure more than any knob does, so the same Gain position gives far more distortion on Lead or Brown than on Crunch. Gain sets the amount of distortion, Volume the level of that sound and Master the overall volume. Neither Katana 50 has a Presence knob, so on a 50 the top end is the Treble's job.

Boss Katana effects for Money for Nothing

FX
T.WahThe Katana's own wah, for the Cry Baby on the record.Red in bank A on a MkII as shipped.
Reverb
Plate ReverbA little room, as in the starting point.Green on a MkII as shipped. Knob about 2.

The Katana runs five effects at once, one each on Booster, Mod, FX, Delay and Reverb. Each button cycles green, red and orange, and each colour holds its own effect. The colours below are the ones BOSS's MkII manual lists from the factory. On a Gen 3 the factory effects differ from channel to channel, so check what a colour holds before you rely on it; BOSS Tone Studio, over USB, can change any of them.

Does it sound off on your Katana?

Pick what you hear. You get the knobs to turn on the Katana from the settings above, and how far.

What the Katana cannot do for Money for Nothing

The nasal honk on the record came from microphones left in odd positions, a sound nobody could repeat later. No knob recreates a microphone position, on a Katana or on the original rig. Raise Middle before you reach for more Gain, and play with your fingers, as Knopfler did.

How to store it on the Katana

Hold CH1 or CH2 for one second. It stores every knob and button except Master, so use Volume to balance stored sounds and Master for the room.

What Dire Straits used on Money for Nothing

Mark Knopfler's Gibson Les Paul, played with his fingers into his guitar tech Ron Eve's Marshall JTM45 and the studio's Laney 4x12 cabinet, with a Cry Baby wah as the only significant pedal and microphones left in odd positions giving a sound nobody could repeat later.

Rig sources: Guitar Player: Classic Tones, Money for Nothing, Songfacts: Money for Nothing, Wikipedia: Money for Nothing (song), Guitar World: Brothers in Arms, Knopfler and his inner circle on its creation

Boss Katana facts checked against BOSS's own documents on : BOSS: KATANA Mk II Owner's Manual (PDF), BOSS: KATANA Gen 3 Reference Manual (PDF)

Dire Straits' rig and the generic five-knob settings for the Money for Nothing tone →

A different guitar, or pedals in front?

This page sets the Katana on its own. Name your guitar and your pedals and Tonelify rewrites the settings for that whole rig, pickup position included. Your first match is free with an account, and needs no card.

Match Money for Nothing to my rig

Money for Nothing on the Katana: questions

What Boss Katana settings do you need for Money for Nothing?

Select the Crunch amp type and start at Gain 5, Bass 5, Middle 6, Treble 6 and Reverb about 2. On a Katana 100, set Presence to 5. These are Tonelify's starting points for the Katana, written from the documented rig and BOSS's manual. They are not BOSS's numbers and not the settings on the record.

Which Boss Katana amp type is closest to the amp on Money for Nothing?

Crunch. Knopfler's Les Paul went into a Marshall JTM45 and a Laney 4x12, with a Cry Baby wah as the only significant pedal. BOSS names no real amp behind the Katana's types, so go by gain: Crunch in the middle of its range is a fat crunch, and the record's honk came from how the amp was miked, not from distortion.

Which Boss Katana effects does Money for Nothing use?

FX: T.Wah. The Katana's own wah, for the Cry Baby on the record. Reverb: Plate Reverb. A little room, as in the starting point.

What can the Katana not do for Money for Nothing?

The nasal honk on the record came from microphones left in odd positions, a sound nobody could repeat later. No knob recreates a microphone position, on a Katana or on the original rig. Raise Middle before you reach for more Gain, and play with your fingers, as Knopfler did.

Does it matter for Money for Nothing that the Katana 50 has no Presence knob?

Not much. Neither the Katana 50 MkII nor the Katana 50 Gen 3 has a Presence knob, so the Treble at 6 sets the top end on its own. On a Katana 100, which has the knob, set Presence to 5.

Is there a Money for Nothing patch for the Boss Katana?

Tonelify does not offer a patch file. The settings on this page are dialled in by hand, which takes a couple of minutes and needs no computer. Hold a channel button for one second to store them.

What if you have a different guitar or pedals in front of the Katana?

These settings assume the unit on its own. Tonelify's matcher rewrites them for the guitar, pedals and amp you name, pickup position included. Your first match is free with an account and needs no card.

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