Tone library / Dire straits / Sultans of swing

Sultans of swing amp settings — Harley benton HB-20rr

The Dire straits guitar tone for “Sultans of swing”, dialed in for a Harley benton HB-20rr with a Harley benton TE-20hh SBK. Studio version, Dire Straits debut album (1978)

Original rig

1961 Fender Stratocaster (bridge+middle position) straight into a Fender Vibrolux / Music Man HD130 clean channel with onboard spring reverb

Sparkling clean with bell-like chime and percussive attack — completely pedal-free, driven by fingerstyle dynamics

Amp settings — Harley benton HB-20rr

CHANNELCleanBOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	2
Bass	4
Mid	6
Treble	8
Reverb	3
Master	6

Don’t have a Harley benton HB-20rr? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPbridge+middle TONE10 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Compressor (e.g. MXR Dyna Comp / Keeley Compressor Plus)

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned; adds the studio optical compression snap and sustains fingerpicked notes

Sustain / Compression 4 · Level / Output 6 · Tone / Blend 6

Why these settings

Because the TE-20HH features dual humbuckers instead of vintage single-coils, treble is pushed to 8 and bass is pulled down to 4 to reduce low-end thickness and mimic the scooped 'out-of-phase' chime. Keep the HB-20R on the Clean channel with gain down at 2 to ensure headroom stays totally pristine. A subtle splash of the built-in spring reverb replicates the airy room ambiance of the original studio take.

PRO TIPDitch the pick completely: anchor your wrist lightly and snap the strings upward with your bare thumb and index/middle fingers right near the bridge for that signature percussive Knopfler cluck.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Harley benton HB-20rr. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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Sultans of swing on other ampsSAME SONG, YOUR AMP Dire straits tonesALL SONGS Harley benton TE-20hh SBK tonesSAME GUITAR Tone libraryEVERYTHING

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.