Riff Tone
Mississippi Queen
Mississippi Queen
Guitarrock1970s
Original Gear
GuitarGibson Les Paul Junior (sunburst, single P-90, 1956-1959 era)
AmpSunn Coliseum PA head (late 1960s, KT88 tubes) into two 4x12 cabinets with Eminence speakers
PickupsGibson P-90 single coil (bridge position)
Amp Settings
gain7
bass8.5
mid5
treble5.5
reverb0
presence5.5
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Studio recording, 1970. No pedals used on the original studio riff; amp was cranked for distortion. Leslie West placed the amp head between two 4x12 cabs for easy access to controls. No effects loop or outboard effects. Settings and gear confirmed for studio, not live.
Tone Character(10)
massive bassy guitar toneexplosive punchy attackbig fat soundtight and percussiveraw and aggressivemid-scooped crunchtouch-sensitive dynamicssinging sustainuncompressed, open feeldistinct P-90 bite
Difficulty
The riff is iconic but technically accessible, requiring solid timing, dynamic picking, and control of amp-driven crunch, but does not involve advanced techniques or fast passages.
Sources
Leslie West tells the the story of Mountain's Mississippi Queen: "If only every song was that easy, man!" | MusicRadarInterview: Leslie West Discusses Tone, Offers Advice, Answers Readers' Questions | Guitar WorldLeslie West | EquipboardRig Rundown: Tom Bukovac - Premier GuitarMississippi Queen Tone | The Gear Page
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Create Free AccountGuitarrock1970s
Original Gear
GuitarGibson Les Paul Junior (sunburst, single P-90, 1956-1959 era)
AmpSunn Coliseum PA head (late 1960s, KT88 tubes) into two 4x12 cabinets with Eminence speakers
PickupsGibson P-90 single coil (bridge position)
Amp Settings
gain7
bass8.5
mid5
treble5.5
reverb0
presence5.5
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Sources
Leslie West tells the the story of Mountain's Mississippi Queen: "If only every song was that easy, man!" | MusicRadarInterview: Leslie West Discusses Tone, Offers Advice, Answers Readers' Questions | Guitar WorldLeslie West | EquipboardRig Rundown: Tom Bukovac - Premier GuitarMississippi Queen Tone | The Gear Page
Notes
Studio recording, 1970. No pedals used on the original studio riff; amp was cranked for distortion. Leslie West placed the amp head between two 4x12 cabs for easy access to controls. No effects loop or outboard effects. Settings and gear confirmed for studio, not live.
Tone Character(10)
massive bassy guitar toneexplosive punchy attackbig fat soundtight and percussiveraw and aggressivemid-scooped crunchtouch-sensitive dynamicssinging sustainuncompressed, open feeldistinct P-90 bite
Difficulty
The riff is iconic but technically accessible, requiring solid timing, dynamic picking, and control of amp-driven crunch, but does not involve advanced techniques or fast passages.