Riff Tone

Love Spreads

The Stone Roses

Guitarrock1990s

Original Gear

Guitar1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard

AmpFender Twin Reverb (with JBL speakers)

PickupsGibson PAF humbuckers

Amp Settings

gain6

bass6.5

mid7

treble7

reverb3

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

delayUnknown Tape-style delay (model unknown)

Notes

Studio recording, 1994, Second Coming album. John Squire used his '59 Les Paul into a Fender Twin Reverb for most of the album, including 'Love Spreads' riff. Some sources mention Orange amps for more distorted parts, but the main riff is widely cited as Les Paul + Twin. Pedals and effects are based on studio use, not live or later performances.

Tone Character(10)

thick and crunchymid-heavy punchwarm but bitingtouch of sustainslide articulationdynamic and expressiveslightly saturatednot overly compressedBritish blues-rock flavoropen and resonant

Difficulty

The riff requires confident slide playing in open D, tight rhythmic control, and dynamic muting to achieve the punchy, expressive tone. The groove and articulation are challenging for intermediate players.

Sources

“We did turn a corner. But it must have been the biggest corner in the universe, ‘cos it took ages to turn it”: Inside the protracted creation and glorious guitar work of The Stone Roses' Second Coming | MusicRadar The Stone Roses – Love Spreads – HGP John Squire had some of the best guitar tone ever from a Les Paul ...

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