What pedal for Knopfler's current "thick" tone ?

[JohnK24]

I'm talking about the tone Mark's getting from his strat and Les Paul, assuming he's using old tweed amps and the Komet on "Shangri La" and "Ragpicker's Dream". It's thick, kinda of wooly on the low string and sings with some sweet rounded sustain on the leads.

I've done some research, the Sole Pressure from HAO seems like an option, but no web clips. Others ?

Thanks,

John

 

[JKoeth]

My guess is that the BJF Honey Bee would be fantastic. I've been eyeing one for a while now.

Check out the clips:

http://www.musictoyz.com/network/pedals.php

It's been the topic of alot of discussion around here lately.

I will most likely be getting one soon.

 

[leofenderbender]

The Menatone Howie will get you there.

 

[Bluzsteel]

I think just an old 59 Bassman

 

[sstweed]

I have to admit I am a die hard Knopfler fan. I love that tone(s) you are describing. He probably owns dozens of amps by now. I know he uses (or has used) a tweed Bassman, a brown Vibrolux, SLO, JTM-45, Komet, Roland Jazz Chorus, Musicman, and he even endorsed a Crate vintage-something-or-other at one time. Anyway the point is, capturing a single tone and saying you have Knopflers sound, might be a little elusive. I think the best you can do is capture that wooly vibe, then put your own twist on it, which is, in the end, probably what Mark does. I come pretty close by playing the wooly textured Blackstone Mosfet into a Timmy. Not exactly like any one of his tones, yet very much in the same vibe. Wooly and very dynamic.

 

[erksin]

And he uses a Hotcake too, right?

 

[sstweed]

Originally posted by erksin
And he uses a Hotcake too, right?

I never heard that for sure. I wonder if it is true? The Hotcake is one of the pedals coveted on these boards that I haven't tried.

 

[kevin hart]

knopfler did use a hot cake on his last tour, but just on "boom like that". he used a silvertone guitar for that tune & would kick the hot cake on for the solos. i know that ken fischer of train wreck, who also designed the komet 60 mark uses, was a big fan of the hot cake. i'll bet that ken turned mark onto that. on the shangri-la album he used an old vox ac-15 quite a bit, but for that wooly tone i think your talking about, i think those tones were his 1958 les paul through the komet 60 with an old marshall 4X12 cab and a dr z airbrake. when using his les paul he only uses the neck pick-up & when using his strats for soloing he uses the middle/bridge combo. i think those pick-up combos also contribute to that wooly sound. and lets not forget his touch. damn that man can play.

 

[Pedro58]

I asked a friend, fellow forumite Mark C, about how to get Knopler's tone, given what we knew about his gear. He said, "Turn the amp up and play with your bare fingers." I've been working on it a bit, and there's something to it! Don't pop the strings against the fretboard. It takes some finesse... Not my forte, exactly.

 

[JohnK24]

Thanks gang...appreciate the info. I'm a huge Knopfler fan...I remember one of the first guitar lessons I went to, my teacher had just bought the first Dire Straits album (yeah, I'm 41) and he was totally knocked out by Mark's style. At my next lesson he had figured out the "Sultan" solo, picking it with his fingers on that beautiful '56 Gold Top les paul through a little Gibson tube amp. I spent the next four months learning that tune and the leads...still a killer.

Through the past five years I've totally rediscover Knopfler and love those deep, wooly tones and moody songs. He's one third of my guitar "hero" triology (Paisley and SRV are the others).

fwiw, I got a HAO Soul Pressure pedal on the way to see what it can do and I've pretty good at using my fingers in lieu of picks...so, we'll see.

John

 

[sstweed]

I have been picking with my fingers for a couple years now and love what it has done for my playing. I don't know that it has gotten me closer to Knopflers tone, but it has gotten me closer to his phrasing that I love so well. Since I can't move as fast with my fingers I have to think of something musical to play.

 

[LilSteve]

Originally posted by Pedro58
I asked a friend, fellow forumite Mark C, about how to get Knopler's tone, given what we knew about his gear. He said, "Turn the amp up and play with your bare fingers." I've been working on it a bit, and there's something to it! Don't pop the strings against the fretboard. It takes some finesse... Not my forte, exactly.

yep ridin' bareback will do it...

 

[µ¿ z3®ø™]

interesting to note that both mark and jeff beck both eschew picks and yet have such dramatically different tone.
i go w/ the cranked tweed bassman, tho'.
i'm sure there's several other ways to get there too.

 

[mockoman]

Sounds like his amp is cranked,with the guitar volume backed way down.He uses a vol pedal,but I bet the guitars' vol knob would work. Just don't do the mod that keeps the highs when you turn down the guitar.

 

[GAT]

My band does Boom Like That and I have used a Baker B1 into a Connie, Marshall 4x12, neck pickup and a CJOD pedal. Pretty close.

 

[trisonic]

Apart from the Komet he also used a Tweed Deluxe and an AC15 on the record.

Deluxe on the song about Elvis and the AC15 on the Hank Marvin type things where he also, gulp, used a pick.

I'm a great fan of the Komet (range) and if I was still gigging would definitely go that route but my favourite tone on the record, after playing it to death, is the Deluxe on the Tupelo song.....

Best, Pete.

 

[HBob]

I think you'll like the Sole Pressure. It's the closest I've found for those tones. Great albums by the way. If the Sole Pressure doesn't do it for you the V-Stack Tweedy might be another option.

 

[JohnK24]

Originally posted by HBob
I think you'll like the Sole Pressure. It's the closest I've found for those tones. Great albums by the way. If the Sole Pressure doesn't do it for you the V-Stack Tweedy might be another option.

COOL !!!!...it should arrive tomorrow (along with a Barber LTD, which I'm use for lighter OD)...can't wait to crank the amp on Saturday as the wife and son are heading to a birthday party...lord, the dog is in for some wattage !

J

 

[rlinkt]

No idea about his gear, but I would love to get a bit of his phrasing and touch

Long-time fan

 

[HBob]

JohnK24 - Did you get the Sole Pressure and try it out? I just got a T.C. Jauernig Luxury Drive and they sound great together.