What amp did Mark Knopfler use on Brothers in Arms?

Knopfler used a Marshall JTM45 head — a single-channel, non-master-volume amp cranked near full volume. The bass was set very low with mids and treble boosted to create the song's distinctive 'hollow' warmth.

What guitar was used on Brothers in Arms?

A 1983 Gibson Les Paul Standard '59 Reissue (serial #90006) — the same guitar used on Money for Nothing. It sold at Christie's in 2024 for £592,200.

How to get the Brothers in Arms tone?

Use a Les Paul-style guitar with the neck pickup. Set your amp to crunch with very low bass, high mids and treble. A volume pedal is essential for the signature swells. Fingerpick for a warmer attack.

Classic Rock1985Brothers in Arms

Brothers in Arms Amp Settings

by Dire Straits

Brothers in Arms features one of rock's most emotionally evocative guitar tones — Mark Knopfler's fingerpicked Les Paul through a cranked Marshall JTM45, with violin-like volume swells creating an elegiac, almost crying quality that perfectly serves the song's anti-war message.

Get This ToneFree — no account needed

What Makes This Tone Iconic

This tone is the opposite of Knopfler's typical bright Strat sound. The Les Paul's neck humbucker through a JTM45 with bass rolled way down creates a 'hollow but not mushy' quality — warm and singing without being dark or muddy. The Ernie Ball volume pedal enables those trademark volume swells that make the guitar sound like a human voice. Every note blooms and fades like a breath.

Key Tone Elements

1983 Gibson Les Paul '59 Reissue with neck humbucker (PAF-style)
Marshall JTM45 cranked — bass very low, mids and treble high
Ernie Ball Volume Pedal for violin-like volume swells
Fingerpicking (no pick) for warm, dynamic attack
Non-master-volume amp on the edge of breakup for dynamic response

Original Recording Settings

partially-sourcedResearched tone data for "Brothers in Arms" by Dire Straits

Original Gear

Guitar: 1983 Gibson Les Paul Standard '59 Reissue (serial #90006)
Pickups: PAF-style humbuckers (likely Tim Shaw PAFs, used on early '80s Gibson reissues) (neck)
Amplifier: Marshall JTM45
Channel: Normal input (single-channel amp)
Tuning: standard
Pickup Selector: neck (rhythm position)
Strings: Not documented

Strongest consensus from MK Guitar Site, Ground Guitar, and forum sources. Photograph exists in Guy Fletcher's recording diaries. Competing claim for Jim Kelley FACS amplifier exists (from John Suhr). Non-master-volume amp. Cabinet: Marshall 4×12 with Celestion speakers. Recorded at AIR Studios Montserrat on Sony PCM-3324 digital through Neve 8078 console.

Amp Settings

Bass

2.0

Mid

7.0

Treble

7.0

Volume

8.0

JTM45 'nearly dimed' per forum discussion. Photo shows bass set very low — 'key to a hollow but not mushy sound with neck PU of a LP.' Mid and treble boosted. No presence control on original JTM45. Non-master-volume amp.

Effects Chain

→

Ernie Ball Volume Pedal

volume

→

1.Ernie Ball Volume Pedal — Used extensively for signature 'violin-esque' volume swells that define the track. Confirmed by Ground Guitar.

Playing Technique

Fingerpicking (no pick) using first and second fingers with occasional thumb. Volume swells via Ernie Ball volume pedal are the defining technique — creating violin-like fades. Guitar volume manipulation provides clean-to-overdriven dynamic shift. With JTM45 cranked, neck humbucker produces singing sustain on edge of feedback.

Sources+

Christie's Auction Catalog (2024): guitar identification, provenance, sold for £592,200.
Guitar World (Oct 2025, Jonathan Horsley): Ron Eve interview, John Illsley quotes.
Sound on Sound 'Classic Tracks' (May 2006, Richard Buskin): Neil Dorfsman detailed interview.
MK Guitar Site (Ingo Raven): track-by-track gear database.
Ground Guitar: comprehensive Knopfler gear list with citations.
Kemper Profiler Forum: technical tone analysis threads.