Riff Tone

Paralyzed

Lenny Kravitz

Guitarrock2010s+

Original Gear

GuitarGibson Les Paul Standard (vintage, likely late 1950s/early 1960s, as per Kravitz's studio preferences)

AmpMarshall Plexi (vintage, likely Super Lead 1959 or JMP, as per Kravitz's studio rig and interviews)

PickupsGibson PAF-style humbuckers

Amp Settings

gain6

bass6

mid7

treble6.5

reverb2

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 2024. Lenny Kravitz states he uses vintage Les Pauls and Marshall amps for his core rhythm tones and prefers a direct guitar-to-amp setup for rhythm parts. No Flying V used in studio. No pedal effects confirmed for riff section; effects like flanger are present on the mix but not necessarily from a pedal in the riff section.

Tone Character(10)

crunchy and vintagetight and percussivepunchy midrangewarm low endarticulate attackslightly compressedminimal processingretro-rock vibeclear note separationclassic British amp character

Difficulty

The riff requires intermediate-level control of timing, groove, and articulation, with some technical challenges in executing bends and maintaining a tight, percussive feel.

Sources

Lenny Kravitz's Guitar Gear | Equipboard Lenny Kravitz on Prince, Dumbles and pitfalls facing modern players | Guitar World 5 songs guitarists need to hear by… Lenny Kravitz | MusicRadar When Lenny Kravitz blew Prince’s mind with his guitar tone | Guitar World

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