Tone library / Dire Straits / Sultans of Swing

Sultans of Swing amp settings — Fender Champion 110

The Dire Straits guitar tone for “Sultans of Swing”, dialed in for a Fender Champion 110 with a Ibanez GIO GRG170DX. Studio version, Dire Straits debut album (1978)

Original rig

1961 Fender Stratocaster (middle+bridge position) → Dan Armstrong Orange Squeezer (subtle) → Fender Vibrolux (mid-60s brown tolex)

Clean, bell-like chime with percussive attack and glassy treble sparkle — the signature Knopfler 'cluck'

Amp settings — Fender Champion 110

BOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	3
Bass	4
Treble	7
Reverb	2
Master	5

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge+middle TONE8 VOLUME10

Why these settings

Your Champion 110 has no mid control (bass/treble only), so I've set bass at 4 to avoid muddiness and treble at 7 for the glassy Strat-like sparkle. Your GRG170DX has humbuckers with coil-split capability — if you can split to single-coil mode, do it; this gets you closer to the Strat quack. Gain stays low at 3 because this is a clean tone with minimal breakup.

PRO TIPKnopfler's tone is 80% fingerstyle technique — use your thumb and first two fingers to pluck, attacking the strings at an angle near the bridge pickup. No pick. This creates the percussive 'cluck' that defines the sound more than any amp setting.

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These settings are for a Fender Champion 110. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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Song, artist and gear names are used to identify the tone being matched; ToneAdapt is not affiliated with or endorsed by the artists or manufacturers mentioned. Settings are AI-generated starting points — trust your ears.