Riff Tone

Kickstart My Heart

Mötley Crüe

Guitarrock1980s

Original Gear

GuitarKramer Custom Tele-style (likely with Floyd Rose, as per era and live/studio photos)

AmpMarshall JCM800 2203 (studio, late 1980s sessions for Dr. Feelgood)

PickupsSeymour Duncan JB humbucker (bridge), stock single coil (neck) (inferred from era and typical Mars setup)

Amp Settings

gain0

bass5.5

mid5

treble7

reverb1.5

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1989. Guitar tuned down a whole step (D standard). Clean intro/riff uses bridge pickup. No evidence of pedal use for clean section; all effects likely from amp or studio. No chorus or delay audible in clean intro. Kramer Tele-style with Floyd Rose is confirmed for this era.

Tone Character(10)

bright and percussiveclear and articulatetight attackslight spring reverb ambienceno breakup or distortionsnappy, defined single notesbridge pickup claritychunky low end from D standard tuningno modulation or delaystudio-polished clean

Difficulty

The clean riff requires tight palm muting, precise timing at a fast tempo, and accurate use of the whammy bar for the intro sound, but does not involve complex chord shapes or advanced techniques.

Sources

Mötley Crüe - Kickstart My Heart (Tab)Mötley Crüe – Dr. Feelgood - Gear & Equipment Used on the Album | Equipboard Motley Crue Tone - forum topic Mick's guitar tone : r/MotleyCrue

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