Tone library / Dire Straits / Money for Nothing

Money for Nothing amp settings — Blackstar ID:Core 20 V3

The Dire Straits guitar tone for “Money for Nothing”, dialed in for a Blackstar ID:Core 20 V3 with a Ibanez GIO GRG170DX. Studio version, Brothers in Arms (1985) — the main distorted riff

Original rig

1958/59 Gibson Les Paul Standard → Morley Wah (parked half-open) → Marshall JTM45 head → Laney 4×12 cab, mic'd accidentally with phase anomalies

Crunchy, nasal mid-honk with out-of-phase character — aggressive yet clear, biting but not fizzy

Amp settings — Blackstar ID:Core 20 V3

CHANNELOD1BOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	6
Bass	4
Mid	7
Treble	5
Reverb	0
Master	5

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE6 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Wah Pedal (any — Dunlop Cry Baby, Vox V845, or similar)

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. Park the pedal at ~40% travel (toe slightly down from flat) and leave it fixed. This creates the signature nasal mid-boost — without it you lose half the tone's character.

Pedal Position 4

Why these settings

Your GRG170DX's Infinity humbuckers are hotter and brighter than Knopfler's vintage PAF-style Les Paul pickups, so I've dropped treble by 1 and kept gain moderate at 6 (the ID:Core's OD1 saturates earlier than a cranked non-master JTM45). ISF toward British compensates for the Blackstar's neutral voicing vs the Marshall's natural mid-bark. The parked wah is non-negotiable for this tone — it's responsible for the honking mid-frequency peak that defines the riff.

PRO TIPKnopfler played this with his FINGERS, not a pick — aggressive fingerstyle attack on the bridge humbucker is essential to the percussive-yet-warm dynamics. Dig in hard with your fingertips on the downstrokes.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Blackstar ID:Core 20 V3. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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