Riff Tone
Modern Day Cowboy
Tesla
Guitarrock1980s
Original Gear
GuitarGibson Les Paul Standard (1980s, likely used by Frank Hannon or Tommy Skeoch)
AmpMarshall JCM800 2203 (most likely, based on era, genre, and band interviews for Mechanical Resonance)
PickupsHumbucker (likely Gibson stock or Seymour Duncan, 1980s era)
Amp Settings
gain7
bass6
mid6.5
treble7
reverb2
presence6
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Studio recording, 1986; no direct source confirms exact guitar/amp for the riff, but Les Paul into Marshall JCM800 is widely accepted for Tesla's Mechanical Resonance album. No evidence of pedal use for the main riff, just amp distortion.
Tone Character(10)
tight and punchyclassic Marshall cruncharticulate palm-muted chugsaggressive but controlledclear note separationslight amp reverb for spacebridge humbucker bitepercussive attackmidrange presencenot overly saturated
Difficulty
The riff requires precise palm muting, fast alternate picking, and tight rhythm, making it moderately challenging for intermediate players.
Sources
Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear
Create Free AccountGuitarrock1980s
Original Gear
GuitarGibson Les Paul Standard (1980s, likely used by Frank Hannon or Tommy Skeoch)
AmpMarshall JCM800 2203 (most likely, based on era, genre, and band interviews for Mechanical Resonance)
PickupsHumbucker (likely Gibson stock or Seymour Duncan, 1980s era)
Amp Settings
gain7
bass6
mid6.5
treble7
reverb2
presence6
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Studio recording, 1986; no direct source confirms exact guitar/amp for the riff, but Les Paul into Marshall JCM800 is widely accepted for Tesla's Mechanical Resonance album. No evidence of pedal use for the main riff, just amp distortion.
Tone Character(10)
tight and punchyclassic Marshall cruncharticulate palm-muted chugsaggressive but controlledclear note separationslight amp reverb for spacebridge humbucker bitepercussive attackmidrange presencenot overly saturated
Difficulty
The riff requires precise palm muting, fast alternate picking, and tight rhythm, making it moderately challenging for intermediate players.
More Tesla tones
- Love Song · riff
- Love Song · riff
- Love Song · solo
- Rock Me to the Top · riff
- The Way It Is · riff
- What You Give · riff