Dire Straits
Private Investigations: The Best of Dire Straits & Mark Knopfler · 1985
Amp settings (as recorded)
The recording
The track was recorded at AIR Studios in Montserrat. Producer Neil Dorfsman and Mark Knopfler were aiming for a Billy Gibbons-style ZZ Top tone. The sound emerged from a happy accident when a Shure SM57 microphone, placed for the amplifier, was knocked out of position to point at the studio floor. This specific mic placement, combined with a Morley wah pedal left in a fixed 'cocked' position, created a unique tonal result that they were unable to recreate in subsequent sessions.
Tuning
StandardRecording Signal Chain · 3 items
Les Paul Junior
Gibson
Primary guitar
Equipped with a P-90 pickup.
Wah Pedal
Morley
Filter/Tone Shaper
Set in a fixed, partially open position to create a cocked-wah sound.
Combo Amplifier (2x12)
Laney
Primary amplification
Driven hard to achieve saturated rock tones.
Tone Characteristics
ToneTwin