Riff Tone

Love Ain't No Stranger (US Mix / 2019 Remaster)

Whitesnake

Guitarrock1980s

Original Gear

GuitarFender Stratocaster (likely 1970s-early 80s, possible HSS or SSS configuration)

AmpMarshall JCM800 (likely, based on era and band, but not explicitly confirmed for clean section)

PickupsSingle-coil pickups (exact model unknown, likely Fender stock single-coils or similar)

Amp Settings

gain0

bass5.5

mid6.5

treble7

reverb3

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

chorusUnknown Chorus pedal (model unknown, likely Boss CE-1, CE-2, or Dimension C, or rack Tri-Stereo Chorus)

compressionUnknown Compressor pedal (model unknown, likely Boss CS-2 or rack compression)

Notes

Studio recording, 1983-1984. Mel Galley played the clean intro/riff on the original 'Slide It In' album. Gear details for the clean section are not explicitly confirmed in sources, but forum consensus and period-correct session practices suggest a Stratocaster with single-coils into a Marshall amp with heavy compression and chorus for the clean tone. No evidence of live rig or Les Paul/Dirty Fingers for this section.

Tone Character(10)

bright and glassylush stereo choruscompressed and evenarticulate single-coil attackslightly scooped midsstudio-polished claritypercussive and snappywide stereo imageno audible overdriveclean, sparkling highs

Difficulty

The clean riff is not technically difficult but requires precise picking, good timing, and dynamic control to achieve the polished, chorus-laden 80s studio sound.

Sources

Is This Love Whitesnake clean tone and effects The ultimate guide to the guitarists that shaped Whitesnake's sound | Guitar World

Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear

Create Free Account