Riff Tone
Epic
Faith No More
Guitarrock1990s
Original Gear
GuitarGibson Flying V (likely 1979 or early 1980s, as used by Jim Martin on 'The Real Thing')
AmpMesa/Boogie Mark III head
PickupsStock Gibson humbuckers
Amp Settings
gain7
bass6
mid6.5
treble7
reverb1.5
presence6
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Studio recording, 1989-1990 for 'The Real Thing' album. Jim Martin is documented using a Gibson Flying V into a Mesa/Boogie Mark III for the album. No evidence of pedal use for the main riff section; signal is mostly guitar straight into amp. Live rigs and later eras used different gear.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussivemid-forward cruncharticulate note separationaggressive pick attackpunchy and focusedslightly compressedminimal ambienceclassic hard rock edgeclear, defined riffingnot overly saturated
Difficulty
The riff requires tight palm muting and precise timing to achieve the percussive, articulate sound. While not technically advanced, the riff's groove and attack demand intermediate-level control and consistency.
Sources
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Create Free AccountGuitarrock1990s
Original Gear
GuitarGibson Flying V (likely 1979 or early 1980s, as used by Jim Martin on 'The Real Thing')
AmpMesa/Boogie Mark III head
PickupsStock Gibson humbuckers
Amp Settings
gain7
bass6
mid6.5
treble7
reverb1.5
presence6
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Studio recording, 1989-1990 for 'The Real Thing' album. Jim Martin is documented using a Gibson Flying V into a Mesa/Boogie Mark III for the album. No evidence of pedal use for the main riff section; signal is mostly guitar straight into amp. Live rigs and later eras used different gear.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussivemid-forward cruncharticulate note separationaggressive pick attackpunchy and focusedslightly compressedminimal ambienceclassic hard rock edgeclear, defined riffingnot overly saturated
Difficulty
The riff requires tight palm muting and precise timing to achieve the percussive, articulate sound. While not technically advanced, the riff's groove and attack demand intermediate-level control and consistency.
More Faith No More tones
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