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Guitar tone · rock, metal

Whitesnake guitar tone: gear & amp settings

The gear and amp settings behind 19 Whitesnake songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: Gibson Les Paul Standard into Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ Head.

Guitars Whitesnake used

  • Gibson Les Paul Standard2 songs
  • Jackson Soloist (likely SL1, 1984 USA Custom Shop, as used by John Sykes on Slide It In album)1 song
  • Peavey Vandenberg (original signature model, 1987 production, Floyd Rose tremolo, alder body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard)1 song
  • Gibson Les Paul Custom (1984, John Sykes' main studio guitar)1 song
  • Gibson Les Paul Custom (John Sykes' main guitar on Whitesnake 1987 album)1 song
  • Gibson Les Paul Custom (John Sykes, 1978 Black Beauty, likely used for clean parts on 1987 album)1 song
  • Gibson Les Paul Custom (John Sykes, 1978 model, likely with Tim Shaw PAF-style humbuckers)1 song
  • Gibson Les Paul Custom (John Sykes' main studio guitar for Whitesnake 1987 album)1 song

Amps Whitesnake used

  • Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ Head3 songs
  • Marshall JCM800 2203 head with 4x12 cabinet (Celestion speakers, studio recording, 1984)1 song
  • Mesa/Boogie Mark III Coliseum (No Stripe, modded, used in studio for 1987 album)1 song
  • Marshall JCM800 2203 100W head (studio recording, 1986-1987 era)1 song
  • Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ and/or Mark III Coliseum head (studio recording, 1986-87)1 song
  • Marshall amp (likely Jose-modded JCM800 or similar, but for clean sections, likely set for low gain/clean channel)1 song
  • Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ Head (studio recording, 1986-1987)1 song
  • Marshall JCM800 2203 head into Marshall 4x12 cabinet (Celestion speakers)1 song

30 Whitesnake tones

SongGain
Is This Love (2017 Remaster) · riff7
Is This Love (2017 Remaster) · riff0
Is This Love (2017 Remaster) · solo7.5
Still Of The Night (2017 Remaster) · riff8
Is This Love (2018 Remaster) · riff6.5
Is This Love (2018 Remaster) · solo7.5
Crying In The Rain (2017 Remaster) · riff7
Love Ain't No Stranger · riff7
All Out of Luck (2025 Remaster) · riff7
Bad Boys (2017 Remaster) · riff8
Children Of The Night (2017 Remaster) · riff8
Crying In the Rain · riff7
Crying In The Rain (2017 Remaster) · solo8
Fool for Your Loving · riff7
Fool For Your Loving (2009 Remaster) · riff7
Give Me All Your Love (Single Version) · riff7.5
Here I Go Again (1987 Version / 2017 Remaster) · riff7.5
Here I Go Again (1987 Version / 2017 Remaster) · solo7.5
Here I Go Again (1987 Version / 2017 Remaster) · riff0
Here I Go Again (Radio Mix) · riff8
Is This Love · riff6.5
Is This Love (2017 Remaster) · solo0
Is This Love (2018 Remaster) · riff0
Is This Love (Live) · riff0
Is This Love (Live) · riff6
Love Ain't No Stranger (2022 Remix) · riff0
Love Ain't No Stranger (US Mix / 2019 Remaster) · riff7
Love Ain't No Stranger (US Mix / 2019 Remaster) · solo8
Love Ain't No Stranger (US Mix / 2019 Remaster) · riff0
Still Of The Night (87 Evolutions Version) · riff8

Get Whitesnake's tone on your gear

Pick any Whitesnake song and ToneAdapt adapts the original rig to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.

Frequently asked questions

What amp did Whitesnake use?

Across 19 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ Head (3 songs), Marshall JCM800 2203 head with 4x12 cabinet (Celestion speakers, studio recording, 1984) (1 song), Mesa/Boogie Mark III Coliseum (No Stripe, modded, used in studio for 1987 album) (1 song), Marshall JCM800 2203 100W head (studio recording, 1986-1987 era) (1 song).

What guitar did Whitesnake use?

Most often: Gibson Les Paul Standard (2 songs), Jackson Soloist (likely SL1, 1984 USA Custom Shop, as used by John Sykes on Slide It In album) (1 song), Peavey Vandenberg (original signature model, 1987 production, Floyd Rose tremolo, alder body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard) (1 song), Gibson Les Paul Custom (1984, John Sykes' main studio guitar) (1 song).

How do I get Whitesnake's tone on my amp?

Open any Whitesnake song below to see the original gear and settings, then use ToneAdapt to adapt them to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.