Riff Tone

I

Kiss

Guitarrock1980s

Original Gear

GuitarGibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1970s, Ace Frehley signature not yet in production)

AmpMarshall Super Lead 100 (Plexi, late 1970s/early 1980s, likely JMP or JCM800 variant)

PickupsDiMarzio Super Distortion humbucker (bridge position, period-correct for Ace Frehley in early 1980s)

Amp Settings

gain6.5

bass5

mid7.5

treble6.5

reverb2.5

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1981 (album: Music from 'The Elder'). Ace Frehley is credited for the main riff. No evidence of pedal use for the riff section; signal is Les Paul → Marshall stack. No effects loop or rack effects for this part.

Tone Character(10)

tight palm-muted chugsmid-forward punchaggressive bridge pickup attackclassic Marshall crunchbright and articulate highsfocused low endslight amp breakupdry, direct rhythm tonepercussive riffingno audible modulation or delay

Difficulty

The riff requires solid palm muting and rhythmic precision but uses straightforward power chords and moderate tempo, making it accessible to intermediate players.

Sources

help with guitar tone : r/KISS - Reddit Help setting up Guitar Amp EQ settings for kiss songs - Reddit My Guide To The Infamous Kiss Tone - Ultimate Guitar

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