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Riff Tone

Fame

David Bowie

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

GuitarGibson ES-335TD CRS Country Rock Stereo
AmpFender Twin Reverb (Silverface, early 1970s)
PickupsGibson humbuckers (stock on ES-335TD CRS)

Amp Settings

gain0
bass5.5
mid7
treble6.5
reverb2.5
presence5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1975. Carlos Alomar played the main riff on the original studio version of 'Fame' using his ES-335TD CRS into a Fender Twin Reverb with minimal effects, relying mostly on amp reverb. No evidence of pedal use for the riff section; focus was on clean, funky rhythm tone.

Tone Character(10)
clean and crisptight and percussivewarm and articulatedynamic, touch-sensitivefunky, rhythmic attackslightly scooped mids for claritybright but not harshminimal sustain, quick decaydefined note separationsubtle amp reverb for space

Difficulty

The riff requires intermediate-level funk rhythm technique, including tight muting, syncopation, and dynamic control for clean, percussive articulation.

Sources

Carlos Alomar on making David Bowie’s Fame and Heroes | Guitar WorldThe genius of David Bowie’s guitar collabs: 9 classic tracks | Guitar World

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Fame settings for your amp

Exact settings ToneAdapt players use on these amps.

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