Riff Tone

Moonage Daydream (2012 Remaster)

David Bowie

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

Guitar1968 Gibson Les Paul Custom (stripped finish, open-coil humbuckers)

AmpMarshall Major 200W head with 4x12 cabinet

PickupsGibson humbuckers (open-coil, late 60s spec)

Amp Settings

gain7

bass6.5

mid7.5

treble7

reverb2

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

fuzzSola Sound Sola Sound Tone Bender MkI

wahVox Vox (Italian) Wah (fixed/cocked position)

Notes

Studio recording, 1971 (for 'The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars'); Mick Ronson's main rig for the Ziggy Stardust era. Wah pedal used in cocked/fixed position for riff. Fuzz pedal (Tone Bender MkI) used for heavy distortion. No evidence of time-based or modulation effects on riff section.

Tone Character(10)

nasally midrange honkthick, sustaining fuzzaggressive, biting attackcocked-wah filtered soundBritish crunchvintage fuzz saturationtight and focusedglam rock edgesinging sustainmidrange-forward

Difficulty

The riff requires intermediate skill due to the need for precise wah pedal positioning, heavy and consistent picking, and managing sustain and feedback from high fuzz/distortion.

Sources

The 25 greatest classic rock guitar tones of all time | Guitar World The Anatomy of Mick Ronson's Guitar Tone — Pro Audio Files The Mighty Tone Bender Fuzz: A 50-Year Legacy - Premier Guitar Mick Ronson honored with signature Dunlop Cry Baby wah pedal | Guitar World

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