Solo Tone

Moonage Daydream (Live on 3rd July 1973)

David Bowie

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

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

AmpMarshall amplifier head (likely Marshall Super Lead 1959, as per era and sources)

PickupsGibson humbuckers (open-coil, likely original T-Top or PAF style)

Amp Settings

gain7

bass6

mid7

treble7

reverb2

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

fuzzSola Sound Sola Sound Tone Bender MKI

wahVox Vox Wah (half-cocked position)

Notes

Live performance at Hammersmith Odeon, July 3, 1973. Mick Ronson's main Ziggy-era rig. Notable for use of cocked wah and Tone Bender fuzz. Settings estimated based on era, genre, and typical Marshall usage for this sound.

Tone Character(10)

thick, saturated fuzzcocked wah midrange honksinging sustainnasal, aggressive lead toneclassic British crunchpowerful, soaring solo soundrich harmonic overtonescutting, focused midrangedynamic, expressive phrasingslightly compressed attack

Difficulty

The solo requires intermediate to advanced control of expressive techniques (wah, fuzz, vibrato), dynamic phrasing, and live feedback handling, but does not involve extreme technical speed or complex note patterns.