Riff Tone
Breaking All the Rules
Peter Frampton
Guitarrock1980s
Original Gear
Guitar1954 Gibson Les Paul Custom (Black Beauty, original 3-pickup model, likely with P-90 and Alnico V pickups)
Amp1970s Marshall 100-watt head (Jose Arredondo-modified, used for main riff tones on 'Breaking All the Rules')
PickupsGibson P-90 (neck/middle), Alnico V staple (bridge)
Amp Settings
gain6.5
bass6.5
mid7
treble6.5
reverb2.5
presence6
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Studio recording, 1981. Frampton's main riff tones on 'Breaking All the Rules' were tracked with his 1954 Les Paul Custom through a Jose-modded Marshall 100-watt head. No evidence of live/tour substitutions for the original studio recording. No talk box or Leslie on riff section.
Tone Character(10)
British crunchpunchy and articulatestrong midrange presencetight low endclear note separationslightly compressed attackwarm, vintage rock tonedynamic response to pickingnot overly saturatedclassic Marshall drive
Difficulty
The riff requires intermediate-level control of timing, palm muting, and articulation to achieve the punchy, classic rock sound. While not technically advanced, it demands tight rhythm and dynamic consistency.
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Original Gear
Guitar1954 Gibson Les Paul Custom (Black Beauty, original 3-pickup model, likely with P-90 and Alnico V pickups)
Amp1970s Marshall 100-watt head (Jose Arredondo-modified, used for main riff tones on 'Breaking All the Rules')
PickupsGibson P-90 (neck/middle), Alnico V staple (bridge)
Amp Settings
gain6.5
bass6.5
mid7
treble6.5
reverb2.5
presence6
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Studio recording, 1981. Frampton's main riff tones on 'Breaking All the Rules' were tracked with his 1954 Les Paul Custom through a Jose-modded Marshall 100-watt head. No evidence of live/tour substitutions for the original studio recording. No talk box or Leslie on riff section.
Tone Character(10)
British crunchpunchy and articulatestrong midrange presencetight low endclear note separationslightly compressed attackwarm, vintage rock tonedynamic response to pickingnot overly saturatedclassic Marshall drive
Difficulty
The riff requires intermediate-level control of timing, palm muting, and articulation to achieve the punchy, classic rock sound. While not technically advanced, it demands tight rhythm and dynamic consistency.
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