Mark Knopfler’s Dunlop Cry Baby 535 Wah
Mark used this wah pedal to demonstrate how he came up with the “Money for Nothing” riff in the documentary Guitar Stories.
(on Money for Nothing) I had my Marshall there, we turned it as far as it would go – we were going for a pretty heavy sound. I had a wah-wah pedal in it, just to give it something different. So we got the pedal and as soon as it was in it and set – that was the sound.
Mark Knopfler – Guitar Stories
In the documentary, Mark is filmed using a vintage 535 Cry Baby wah, however, this model was introduced by Dunlop in 1994, which means that he couldn’t have used it on the original record. If you happen to come across any information regarding the model that was used on the studio recording of “Money For Nothing” please be sure to leave a comment below.
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Hey Dan, I did comment yesterday that he used a 535Q Wah but after seeing your updated post I think that I was wrong. You were correct when you said that he used a Standard Wah. He got that sound by using the Standard Wah and placing the microphone further away from the amp so that it sounded like a live recording. I had already seen the Guitar Stories documentary and that was what made me think that he used the 535Q on the recording. Sorry for the confusion!
He only started using the 535Q when it came out in 94′.
Yeah, I read your comment and went on to read about Dunlop wahs a little, and that’s what made me realize that he couldn’t have used 535 on the record. But if you hadn’t left a comment, I wouldn’t have come to that realization – so it was indeed helpful.
I still don’t know whether he used a Cry Baby of any sort on the record. In the doc he only says he used a “wah-wah” which could’ve been anything. Did he ever state specifically that he used a Cry Baby?
No he didn’t specifically say, but the only two wah pedals which he could have used would have been either a Cry Baby or a VOX wah pedal. I’m quite sure he used the dunlop but there’s no way to know for sure.
This is a great post. It is mostly correct but not quite. He actually used a Dunlop Cry Baby 535Q. Both pedals are very similar, but the 535Q just has a few extra adjustments that can be made to the sound.
You’re right, I missed the knob on the side. It should be fixed now, thanks!