Riff Tone

Cortez the Killer

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

Guitar1953 Gibson Les Paul 'Old Black' (heavily modified, Bigsby vibrato, Firebird bridge pickup)

AmpFender Tweed Deluxe 5E3 (wide panel, early 1950s, cranked)

PickupsFirebird mini-humbucker (bridge), P90 (neck), but riff section is bridge pickup

Amp Settings

gain7.5

bass6.5

mid6.5

treble6.5

reverb2

presence2.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1975. Neil Young's 'Old Black' Les Paul into a cranked Fender Tweed Deluxe 5E3. No evidence of pedals in the riff section; amp is run at maximum volume for natural overdrive. Guitar is in Double Drop D tuning. All sources agree this is the classic Neil Young Crazy Horse studio setup for 'Cortez the Killer'.

Tone Character(10)

raw and organicwarm, vintage crunchgritty and earthydynamic and touch-sensitivesustaining, singing lead lineslo-fi analogue texturerich, high gain soundsumptuous, thick midrangeslightly fuzzy breakupopen, resonant chords

Difficulty

The riff is technically straightforward but requires strong dynamic control and feel to manage the loud, touch-sensitive, overdriven amp and to maintain the hypnotic groove of the song.

Sources

Cortez The Killer by Neil Young with Crazy Horse – simplicity and tone are everything – Fat Sound Crazy Horse Members, Gear & Sound | Equipboard Neil young cortez guitar tone : r/GuitarAmps - Reddit

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