Riff Tone

Roll With the Changes

REO Speedwagon

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

Guitar1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard

AmpMarshall Plexi (likely Super Lead 1959, late 1960s/early 1970s model)

PickupsGibson PAF humbuckers

Amp Settings

gain6

bass6

mid7

treble7

reverb2.5

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1977-78. Gary Richrath is visually and anecdotally confirmed to have used a '59 Les Paul and Marshall Plexi for the classic REO Speedwagon riff tones of this era. No evidence of live/touring substitutions or alternate guitars/amps for this specific recording.

Tone Character(10)

classic British crunchpunchy midrangetight, articulate riffingsinging sustainfull-bodied Les Paul toneaggressive pick attackclear note separationslightly compressed dynamicsvintage amp breakupwarm but cutting presence

Difficulty

The riff requires fast, accurate picking, tight muting, and precise chord changes at a brisk tempo, making it moderately challenging for intermediate players.

Sources

Gary Richrath | The Gear Page How the 1970s became the greatest decade for rock guitar

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