Riff Tone

(Ghost) Riders In the Sky

Johnny Cash

Guitarcountry1970s

Original Gear

GuitarFender Esquire (likely 1950s single-pickup model, as used by Luther Perkins on Johnny Cash recordings)

AmpFender Tweed Princeton or Deluxe (exact model not confirmed for this session, but period-correct and cited as used by Luther Perkins)

PickupsFender single-coil bridge pickup

Amp Settings

gain2.5

bass5

mid6

treble7

reverb3.5

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1979; likely recorded with Luther Perkins' typical rig (Fender Esquire into Fender Tweed amp). No evidence of distortion pedals or heavy gain. No evidence of a different guitar or amp for the riff section. All sources indicate clean or edge-of-breakup tone, not heavy/distorted.

Tone Character(10)

bright and twangytight and articulatepercussive attackslight breakup on hard pickingspring reverb ambiencedynamic and touch-sensitiveclassic country snapclear note separationno pedal distortionbridge pickup bite

Difficulty

The riff requires tight, percussive picking and dynamic control typical of country rhythm, but does not involve complex chords or advanced techniques.

Sources

Achieve the Iconic Johnny Cash Guitar Tone - Premier Guitar Bob Wootton: Keeping the Johnny Cash Flame Alive - Premier Guitar

Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear

Create Free Account