Riff Tone

Paradise City

Guns N' Roses

Guitarrock1980s

Original Gear

Guitar1986 Gibson Les Paul Standard (factory second, Kris Derrig replica, used by Slash on Appetite for Destruction sessions)

AmpMarshall JCM800 2203 (modded, rented for Appetite for Destruction studio sessions)

PickupsSeymour Duncan Alnico II Pro humbuckers

Amp Settings

gain0

bass5.5

mid6.5

treble7

reverb2

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

chorusMXR or Boss Chorus pedal (likely MXR Analog Chorus or Boss CH-1, exact model unknown for studio)

Notes

Studio recording, 1986-1987. The clean intro/riff was tracked in the studio with Slash's Les Paul replica and the same Marshall JCM800 used for the album. Chorus effect is clearly audible and cited in multiple sources as likely from an MXR or Boss pedal. No evidence of delay or reverb pedals for the clean intro. Pickup selector likely in the neck or middle position for a warmer, shimmery clean.

Tone Character(10)

shimmery and lushwarm and roundedbell-like clarityorganic chorus modulationnot overly brightslightly compressedarticulate arpeggiosclassic rock cleandepth and movement from chorusnot sterile or digital

Difficulty

The clean intro/riff requires fast, accurate arpeggiation with string skipping and muting to maintain clarity, making it challenging for intermediate players.

Sources

Slash's guitar gear: everything you need to nail the Guns N' Roses ...The 50 greatest guitar effects moments of all time Best pedals for classic rock: recreate the tone of legends - Guitar World

This tone has been researched 2 times by the community

Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear

Create Free Account