Tone library / Dire Straits / Sultans of Swings

Sultans of Swings amp settings — Line6 Spider V 30 Mkll

The Dire Straits guitar tone for “Sultans of Swings”, dialed in for a Line6 Spider V 30 Mkll with a PRS SE Custom 22. Studio version, Dire Straits self-titled debut album (1978)

Original rig

1961 Fender Stratocaster (bridge+middle / neck+middle) -> Dan Armstrong Orange Squeezer compressor -> 1961 Fender Vibrolux Brownface (6G11) combo

Clean, snappy, touch-sensitive Strat quack with fast optical-style compression and slight room ambience

Amp settings — Line6 Spider V 30 Mkll

CHANNELClean (Fender Twin/Deluxe model)BRIGHTonBOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	3
Bass	5
Mid	6
Treble	7
Reverb	3
Master	6

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge+middle TONE9 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Onboard Compressor (Red Comp block)

Engage the Spider V's built-in compressor block to emulate the Dan Armstrong Orange Squeezer

Sustain 6 · Level 7

02Onboard Spring Reverb block

Subtle vintage studio room ambience

Decay 3 · Tone 5 · Mix 3

Why these settings

To emulate the iconic single-coil quack on a dual-humbucker PRS SE Custom 22, pull the tone pot up if your model features coil-splitting, or run the middle position with treble pushed to 7 on the Spider V. The Clean amp voice gives pristine Fender-style headroom, while the onboard compressor adds the essential percussive pop and fast sustain of Knopfler's Orange Squeezer without distorting.

PRO TIPDitch the pick entirely and play strictly fingerstyle using your bare thumb and index/middle fingers to snap the strings against the fretboard for the signature percussive attack.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Line6 Spider V 30 Mkll. 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.