Riff Tone
Mood Swings
Marcus King
Guitarrock2010s+
Original Gear
GuitarGibson ES-345 (Marcus King Signature 1962 ES-345, Cherry Red)
AmpOrange MK Ultra (Marcus King Signature 30W all-tube head, 6L6GC power tubes)
PickupsGibson humbuckers (likely PAF-style, Varitone circuit present but likely bypassed for main riff)
Amp Settings
gain5
bass6.5
mid7
treble6.5
reverb3.5
presence6
Effects & Signal Chain
overdriveIbanez Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer
boostMXR MXR Booster
Notes
Studio recording, 2024 (album released 2024, produced by Rick Rubin). Gear confirmed for 'Mood Swings' era; ES-345 and Orange MK Ultra are Marcus King's primary studio rig for this album. Settings estimated based on artist interviews, rig rundowns, and genre/amp norms. No evidence of alternate guitars or amps for the riff section.
Tone Character(10)
warm and harmonically richtouch-sensitive breakupsinging sustainfull-bodied midrangeclear note separationdynamic response to pickingslightly compressed but openclassic British-American crunchslight amp reverb for spacenot overly saturated
Difficulty
The riff requires intermediate technique, with dynamic picking and expressive phrasing to achieve Marcus King's signature touch-sensitive crunch and sustain. The challenge lies in maintaining clarity and feel rather than speed or complexity.
Sources
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Create Free AccountGuitarrock2010s+
Original Gear
GuitarGibson ES-345 (Marcus King Signature 1962 ES-345, Cherry Red)
AmpOrange MK Ultra (Marcus King Signature 30W all-tube head, 6L6GC power tubes)
PickupsGibson humbuckers (likely PAF-style, Varitone circuit present but likely bypassed for main riff)
Amp Settings
gain5
bass6.5
mid7
treble6.5
reverb3.5
presence6
Effects & Signal Chain
overdriveIbanez Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer
boostMXR MXR Booster
Notes
Studio recording, 2024 (album released 2024, produced by Rick Rubin). Gear confirmed for 'Mood Swings' era; ES-345 and Orange MK Ultra are Marcus King's primary studio rig for this album. Settings estimated based on artist interviews, rig rundowns, and genre/amp norms. No evidence of alternate guitars or amps for the riff section.
Tone Character(10)
warm and harmonically richtouch-sensitive breakupsinging sustainfull-bodied midrangeclear note separationdynamic response to pickingslightly compressed but openclassic British-American crunchslight amp reverb for spacenot overly saturated
Difficulty
The riff requires intermediate technique, with dynamic picking and expressive phrasing to achieve Marcus King's signature touch-sensitive crunch and sustain. The challenge lies in maintaining clarity and feel rather than speed or complexity.
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