Sultans of Swing

One of the most distinctive clean guitar tones in rock. Mark Knopfler plays with his bare fingers instead of a pick, which gives his Stratocaster a warm, rounded attack with a unique percussive quality. The tone on Sultans of Swing is remarkably clean and articulate: a Strat through a clean Fender amp with almost no effects. The magic is entirely in Knopfler's right hand technique — the combination of fingerpicking, muted strings, and dynamic control creates a tone that no amount of gear can replicate without the technique.