Solo Tone

Kiss It Better

Rihanna

Guitarrock2010s+

Original Gear

GuitarFender Stratocaster (likely American Standard or Custom Shop, as used by Nuno Bettencourt with Rihanna in 2016 studio sessions)

AmpMarshall amplifier (exact model unknown, likely JCM800 or DSL series, as per Nuno Bettencourt's typical rig for Rihanna live and studio work)

PickupsFender single-coil pickups (stock or Custom Shop, exact model unknown)

Amp Settings

gain5.5

bass6

mid7

treble6.5

reverb3.5

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

delayUnknown Delay pedal (model unknown)

Notes

Studio recording, 2016. Nuno Bettencourt played the solo on the original studio track and has stated he used his standard rig for Rihanna sessions, which is a Stratocaster into a Marshall amp with minimal pedals. No evidence of alternate guitars or amps for this session. No evidence of live rig differences for the studio recording.

Tone Character(10)

singing sustainsmooth and expressiveslightly overdrivenclear note separationtouch-sensitivewarm midrangepresent treble without harshnessliquid phrasingvocal-like bendssubtle delay ambience

Difficulty

The solo requires intermediate control of bending, vibrato, and phrasing to achieve the vocal-like, expressive quality heard in the recording. While not technically fast, the feel and articulation demand a solid intermediate skill level.

Sources

Why Nuno Bettencourt accepted the Rihanna guitarist gig | Guitar World Guitar Tone Help : r/guitarlessons - Reddit

This tone has been researched 4 times by the community

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