Solo Tone

New Year's Day

Guitarrock1980s

Original Gear

GuitarFender Stratocaster (early 1970s, likely black, maple neck)

AmpVox AC30 (early 1960s, Top Boost model, non-master volume)

PickupsFender single-coil Stratocaster pickups

Amp Settings

gain4.5

bass6

mid7

treble7

reverb5

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

delayUnknown Tape Echo (model unknown, likely Maestro Echoplex or similar)

Notes

Studio recording, 1982-1983, War album sessions. Guitar: Stratocaster confirmed for solo section. Amp: Vox AC30 confirmed by multiple sources. Tape echo used for lead/solo tones. No evidence of other guitars or amps for this specific solo.

Tone Character(10)

bright and articulatechiming upper midstight attackpronounced rhythmic delay repeatssinging sustainclear note separationslightly gritty edge-of-breakup overdrivefull-bodied yet focusednot mushy or compressedambient spaciousness from delay

Difficulty

The solo requires intermediate skill due to the need for precise timing with the delay effect, clean note articulation, and control of dynamics to avoid muddiness with the repeats.

Sources

Revisiting early U2 guitar tones : r/guitarpedals - Reddit The Edge guitar lesson: how to use a delay like the U2 genius | Guitar World All time favorite the Edge guitar tone : r/U2Band - Reddit Edge Fans: New Year's Day | The Gear Page

This tone has been researched 2 times by the community

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