Solo Tone
Heart of Glass
Blondie
Guitarrock1970s
Original Gear
Guitar1972 Fender Stratocaster (Frank Infante's main studio guitar for 'Heart of Glass' solo)
AmpMarshall amplifier (exact model unspecified, likely JMP or Super Lead era-appropriate)
PickupsFender single-coil pickups (stock 1972 Stratocaster)
Amp Settings
gain4
bass6
mid6.5
treble7
reverb2.5
presence5.5
Effects & Signal Chain
delayRoland Tape delay (likely Roland Space Echo or similar, studio unit)
chorusUnknown Chorus effect (model unknown, studio rack or pedal)
Notes
Studio recording, 1978 (Parallel Lines album). Frank Infante played the solo, not Chris Stein. Infante states he used his '72 Strat through a Marshall with minimal effects, but Chris Stein layered tape delay and chorus textures in the background. No evidence of live/tour gear or modern pedalboards being used on the original studio solo.
Tone Character(10)
bright and glassyclear single-coil articulationslightly compressedmodest sustaintight midrangesubtle tape delay repeatschorus shimmer in backgroundminimal overdrivenot heavily saturatedstudio ambience
Difficulty
The solo is not technically demanding but requires clean articulation, good timing with subtle delay, and control of dynamics to match the studio tone.
Sources
Blondie guitarist Frank Infante sets the record straight on his riffs and solos | Guitar World“They probably only made two or three of them, but there’s a signature Burns Chris Stein Scorpion out there somewhere”: Ahead of a new Blondie album, Chris Stein talks folk and jazz influences, fighting with early effects, and his MIDI future | Guitar World
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Original Gear
Guitar1972 Fender Stratocaster (Frank Infante's main studio guitar for 'Heart of Glass' solo)
AmpMarshall amplifier (exact model unspecified, likely JMP or Super Lead era-appropriate)
PickupsFender single-coil pickups (stock 1972 Stratocaster)
Amp Settings
gain4
bass6
mid6.5
treble7
reverb2.5
presence5.5
Effects & Signal Chain
delayRoland Tape delay (likely Roland Space Echo or similar, studio unit)
chorusUnknown Chorus effect (model unknown, studio rack or pedal)
Sources
Blondie guitarist Frank Infante sets the record straight on his riffs and solos | Guitar World“They probably only made two or three of them, but there’s a signature Burns Chris Stein Scorpion out there somewhere”: Ahead of a new Blondie album, Chris Stein talks folk and jazz influences, fighting with early effects, and his MIDI future | Guitar World
Notes
Studio recording, 1978 (Parallel Lines album). Frank Infante played the solo, not Chris Stein. Infante states he used his '72 Strat through a Marshall with minimal effects, but Chris Stein layered tape delay and chorus textures in the background. No evidence of live/tour gear or modern pedalboards being used on the original studio solo.
Tone Character(10)
bright and glassyclear single-coil articulationslightly compressedmodest sustaintight midrangesubtle tape delay repeatschorus shimmer in backgroundminimal overdrivenot heavily saturatedstudio ambience
Difficulty
The solo is not technically demanding but requires clean articulation, good timing with subtle delay, and control of dynamics to match the studio tone.
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