Riff Tone
Free Ride
The Edgar Winter Group
Guitarrock1970s
Original Gear
GuitarGibson Les Paul Standard (early 1970s, likely 1972-73, used by Ronnie Montrose)
AmpFender Dual Showman (likely silverface, early 1970s, studio recording)
PickupsGibson PAF-style humbuckers
Amp Settings
gain6.5
bass6
mid7
treble7
reverb2
presence6
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Studio recording, 1972-1973. Ronnie Montrose played the main riff on a Gibson Les Paul Standard through a Fender Dual Showman amp. No evidence of pedal use for the riff section; distortion is from cranked amp. No evidence of live/touring substitutions for this recording.
Tone Character(10)
fat and punchy rhythmclassic 70s rock crunchtight, percussive attackopen, dynamic chord voicingsmidrange-forwardslightly compressed from amp overdrivebright but not harshfull-bodied, sustaining chordsno pedal colorationamp-driven breakup
Difficulty
The riff requires tight, punchy rhythm playing with syncopated accents and dynamic muting, but uses straightforward power chords and moderate tempo, making it accessible to intermediate players.
Sources
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Original Gear
GuitarGibson Les Paul Standard (early 1970s, likely 1972-73, used by Ronnie Montrose)
AmpFender Dual Showman (likely silverface, early 1970s, studio recording)
PickupsGibson PAF-style humbuckers
Amp Settings
gain6.5
bass6
mid7
treble7
reverb2
presence6
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Studio recording, 1972-1973. Ronnie Montrose played the main riff on a Gibson Les Paul Standard through a Fender Dual Showman amp. No evidence of pedal use for the riff section; distortion is from cranked amp. No evidence of live/touring substitutions for this recording.
Tone Character(10)
fat and punchy rhythmclassic 70s rock crunchtight, percussive attackopen, dynamic chord voicingsmidrange-forwardslightly compressed from amp overdrivebright but not harshfull-bodied, sustaining chordsno pedal colorationamp-driven breakup
Difficulty
The riff requires tight, punchy rhythm playing with syncopated accents and dynamic muting, but uses straightforward power chords and moderate tempo, making it accessible to intermediate players.