Riff Tone

Don't Take Me for a Loser

Gary Moore

Guitarrock1980s

Original Gear

GuitarFender Stratocaster (early 1980s, likely stock or with Seymour Duncan pickups)

AmpMarshall amplifier (likely JCM800 or JMP, as used by Moore in early 1980s studio recordings)

PickupsSingle coil (likely Fender or Seymour Duncan SSL-1, as per era and forum consensus)

Amp Settings

gain7

bass6

mid7

treble7

reverb2

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1982. Sources indicate for this album and song Moore used a Stratocaster into a cranked Marshall amp with minimal or no pedals for the riff section. No evidence of Les Paul or Soldano for this specific track/section. No pedal use in studio per interview excerpt; live rigs often included overdrives/distortions but not for this studio rhythm part.

Tone Character(10)

British crunchedge-of-breakup punchtight and articulate rhythmtouch-sensitive attackdynamic pick responseslightly brittle top endwarm midrangeclear note separationmoderate sustainminimal ambience

Difficulty

The riff requires tight, fast alternate picking and palm muting at a brisk tempo, with dynamic control to maintain clarity and punch. While not extremely technical, it demands solid right-hand technique and rhythmic precision.

Sources

Tone Discussion : Gary Moore Live Tones - forum topic | Ultimate Guitar Listened to Gary Moore Live We Want Moore | Guitar Forum

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