Riff Tone

Aqualung

Jethro Tull

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

Guitar1958 Gibson Les Paul Junior

AmpHiwatt Custom 200W head into 4x12 cabinet

PickupsP-90 single coil

Amp Settings

gain6

bass6.5

mid7

treble7

reverb1

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1971. Martin Barre confirmed use of the '58 Les Paul Junior almost exclusively for the Aqualung album, plugged straight into a Hiwatt Custom 200W head and 4x12 cab. No pedals or effects used for the riff section; signal was guitar → amp only.

Tone Character(10)

raw British crunchpunchy midrangetight low endarticulate attackslightly compressedopen, dynamic responseno pedal colorationclassic rock drivepercussive pick attackclear note separation

Difficulty

The riff requires tight timing, consistent palm muting, and dynamic picking for the classic crunch and articulation, but does not involve advanced techniques or high speed.

Sources

Jethro Tull – Aqualung - Gear & Equipment Used on the Album Martin Barre: how Leslie West influenced his iconic Aqualung solo Martin Barre on Jethro Tull, Aqualung and supporting Hendrix

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