Riff Tone

Let's Dance (2002 Remaster)

David Bowie

Guitarrock1980s

Original Gear

GuitarFender Stratocaster (early 1960s, likely 1962, owned by Stevie Ray Vaughan)

AmpFender Vibroverb (Blackface, 1964, 2x15), possibly with Dumble Steel String Singer for additional clean headroom

PickupsFender single-coil pickups (original vintage spec, likely stock or period-correct replacements)

Amp Settings

gain4.5

bass6

mid6.5

treble7.5

reverb3

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1982 (album released 1983, 2002 remaster). Stevie Ray Vaughan played the riff section. The Roland SDD-320 Dimension D chorus was added in mixing, not live. No evidence of overdrive/distortion pedals used for the riff. Guitar plugged straight into amp, with chorus added post-recording.

Tone Character(10)

fat and cleansparkling highstight and percussivewarm low endarticulate attacksubtle stereo width (from chorus)dynamic and touch-sensitivefunky rhythmic clarityslight compression from ampno audible distortion

Difficulty

The riff requires intermediate skill due to its syncopated funk rhythm, need for precise clean articulation, and dynamic control to maintain the percussive, fat tone.

Sources

Stevie Ray Vaughan's amps and effects pedals Modulation Nation: Chorus, Phasing, and Flanging Last Call: Maybe This Gig Is Not for You

This tone has been researched 2 times by the community

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