Sultans of Swing
Glassy in-between Strat quack, fingerstyle snap.
What is the Sultans of Swing guitar tone?
The Sultans of Swing guitar tone is glassy in-between Strat quack, fingerstyle snap, heard on Dire Straits' 1970s rock recording. It is a clean solo tone, and Dire Straits reportedly tracked it with Mark Knopfler's 1961 Fender Stratocaster with its three-way selector jammed between two positions, into a Fender Twin by his own account, recorded at Basing Street Studios in London in February 1978. 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 clean channel on a modelling combo 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.
Sultans of Swing amp settings: a starting point
On a generic five-knob amp, start at Gain 2, Bass 5, Middle 6, Treble 6, Presence 5, Reverb 3, with the in-between position, probably neck and middle together.
- Gain 2
- Bass 5
- Middle 6
- Treble 6
- Presence 5
- Reverb 3
- Signal chain
- Amp distortion → Spring reverb
- The control that matters most
- The pickup selector. Knopfler has said the song's sound comes from the Strat's switch jammed between two positions, so find that in-between setting before touching the amp.
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. Your first match is free with an account, and needs no card.
Adapt these to my amp- Pickup
- In-between position, probably neck and middle together
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 Sultans of Swing?
Mark Knopfler's 1961 Fender Stratocaster with its three-way selector jammed between two positions, into a Fender Twin by his own account, recorded at Basing Street Studios in London in February 1978.
Sources: Guitar World: Mark Knopfler on his '61 Strat and Sultans of Swing, Wikipedia: Sultans of Swing, Mark Knopfler Guitar Site: gear on the album Dire Straits
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 Sultans of Swing tone on your own amp?
Tell us your guitar, amp, and pedals
AI researches the original tone of Sultans of Swing
Get exact knob settings adapted to your rig
Sultans of Swing tone questions
What amp settings do you need for Sultans of Swing?
On a generic five-knob amp, start at Gain 2, Bass 5, Middle 6, Treble 6, Presence 5, Reverb 3, with the in-between position, probably neck and middle together. 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 glassy in-between Strat quack, fingerstyle snap from different positions.
What is the most important control for the Sultans of Swing tone?
The pickup selector. Knopfler has said the song's sound comes from the Strat's switch jammed between two positions, so find that in-between setting before touching the amp.
Can you get the Sultans of Swing tone without the original gear?
Yes. The original was tracked with Mark Knopfler's 1961 Fender Stratocaster with its three-way selector jammed between two positions, into a Fender Twin by his own account, recorded at Basing Street Studios in London in February 1978, 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 Sultans of Swing a rhythm or a lead tone?
It is a solo part with a clean character, from Dire Straits' 1970s rock catalogue.
Does Tonelify cost anything to try?
Your first match for your own gear is free with an account, and needs no card. After that both plans start with a 7-day free trial: Stage is $6.99 a month for 20 matches, Headliner is $10.99 a month for unlimited matching within a fair use limit of 150 new matches a day, and yearly billing works out cheaper on both. Reading this page and the rest of the library costs nothing and needs no account.
Guides for this sound
How to get a clean tone on any ampKeep the gain low, get volume from the master and leave headroom. Clean tone settings for valve, solid-state and modelling amps, and what to fix first.
How to get any song's guitar tone on the amp you ownFind the documented rig, match the amp family, set the gain lower than you think and EQ against the record. A seven-step method, worked on a Boss Katana.
Positive Grid Spark settings for clean, blues, rock and metalSpark 40 and Spark 2 settings for clean, blues, rock and metal, a printable cheat sheet, the real amp behind each Spark model, and how to set a GO or MINI.
