Riff Tone

Philby

Rory Gallagher

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

GuitarCoral Electric Sitar 3S19

AmpVox AC30 Top Boost

PickupsBuilt-in single coil pickups (Coral Sitar)

Amp Settings

gain6.5

bass6.5

mid7

treble7

reverb2

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

boostHawk Hawk II Treble Booster

Notes

Studio recording, 1979. The main riff of 'Philby' is famously played on a Coral Electric Sitar, not Rory's usual Strat. The amp is most likely a Vox AC30 Top Boost, as used by Rory in this era for studio work. No evidence of live substitution for the riff section. Pedal use is confirmed for treble booster.

Tone Character(10)

sitar-like metallic twangsharp, biting upper midscranked British amp crunchpercussive, staccato attackcompressed sustaintreble-forward clarityslightly nasal, filtered sounddynamic pick responsetight, focused low enddistinctive, unconventional riff texture

Difficulty

The riff requires tight, percussive picking to emulate the sitar's metallic attack, plus precise timing and dynamic control to maintain clarity and groove at a moderate tempo.

Sources

Rory Gallagher - Page 4 | Guitar World Rory Gallagher – Top Priority (Remastered 2017) - Gear & Equipment Used on the Album | Equipboard Rory Gallagher: the guitar gear behind the legend | Guitar World

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