Sultans of Swing Tone on VOX VT20X & VT40X

Summary

In this video, the creator responds to a subscriber's request to replicate the sound of 'Sultans of Swing' using a Vox VT20X. He shares his setup, including a 1989 Mexican Stratocaster, and demonstrates the sound he achieved after experimenting with various effects like echo and reverb. The creator also discusses his choice of amp settings, aiming to mimic Mark Knopfler's tone from the Dire Straits song. He plays along with a backing track to showcase the sound, emphasizing the authenticity of his setup.

Takeaways

• 🎸 The speaker is attempting to recreate the sound of 'Sultans of Swing' using a Vox VT20X amplifier.
• 🏭 The speaker is using a 1989 Mexican Stratocaster with vintage noiseless pickups for a more authentic tone.
• 🎶 The speaker listened to Mark Knopfler's playing to understand the sound and tried to emulate it with their setup.
• 🔁 The speaker experimented with different types of echo effects, settling on an old-school tape echo with a 220 millisecond delay.
• 🎛️ The tone settings were left mostly untouched, with a slight adjustment to the spring reverb for a subtle, dampened sound.
• 🎚️ The speaker used a boutique amp模拟 to achieve a sound similar to what Mark Knopfler might have used, adjusting the gain, treble, and presence.
• 🔊 The speaker increased the NR Sensitivity and changed the bias to 'hot' to get a more pronounced sound.
• 🎵 The speaker played along with a backing track from guitarbackingtrack.com to test their sound against the original.
• 🎤 The speaker acknowledges that their guitar may not sound exactly like Mark Knopfler's but is confident in the similarity of the tone they've achieved.
• 👏 The speaker concludes with a live performance of 'Sultans of Swing' to demonstrate their sound setup.

Q & A

What was the request from the subscriber?

The subscriber, possibly a lady named Eva from Belgium, asked for a sound using the Vox VT20X or VT40X, specifically a Sultans of Swing sound.

Which Vox model does the speaker have?

The speaker has a Vox VT20X model.

What type of guitar is used to achieve the Sultans of Swing sound?

The speaker uses a 1989 Mexican Stratocaster with vintage noiseless pickups.

How does the speaker describe the sound they achieved?

The speaker describes the sound as having a slight echo effect, with a bit of slapback, and a tone that is not overly bright but has some mid-range and bass.

What settings did the speaker use for the echo effect?

The speaker used an old school tap echo with a setting of about 220 milliseconds, a level of 3.2, and a slight slapback.

What was the speaker's approach to the reverb effect?

The speaker used a spring reverb with a mix of 2.2, a time of 2.3, and a low damp setting to create a barely noticeable reverb effect.

What amp settings did the speaker use to emulate Mark Knopfler's sound?

The speaker used a boutique amp with bright cap, mid boost, low cut off, gain set higher, treble up, and volume slightly increased. The bias was changed to hot, and the NR Sensitivity was set to red.

How does the speaker compare the sound of their Mexican Stratocaster to Mark Knopfler's guitar?

The speaker acknowledges that their Mexican Stratocaster does not sound exactly like Mark Knopfler's guitar but is stratty enough to achieve a similar sound for Sultans of Swing.

What website does the speaker mention for guitar backing tracks?

The speaker mentions guitarbackingtrack.com as a source for Sultans of Swing backing tracks.

How does the speaker prepare for playing Sultans of Swing after not playing it seriously since 1984?

The speaker practices the song a few times to get familiar with it again, acknowledging that they won't play it exactly like Mark Knopfler but focusing on achieving a close sound.

What is the speaker's approach to playing the guitar for Sultans of Swing?

The speaker uses a pick and fingers to play the guitar, focusing on achieving a sound that is close to Mark Knopfler's playing style in Sultans of Swing.