Riff Tone

She Sells Sanctuary (Long Version)

The Cult

Guitarrock1980s

Original Gear

GuitarGretsch White Falcon (mid-1970s, double-cutaway, Filter'Tron pickups)

AmpRoland JC-120 (chorus on) + Marshall (likely JCM800 or JMP, exact model not specified for studio recording)

PickupsGretsch Filter'Tron humbuckers

Amp Settings

gain6

bass6.5

mid6.5

treble7

reverb3.5

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

flangerBoss Boss BF-2 Flanger

delayBoss Boss DM-2 Analog Delay

delayBoss Boss DD-3 Digital Delay

Notes

Studio recording, 1985. Billy Duffy used a Gretsch White Falcon into a dual-amp setup: Roland JC-120 (for chorus and clean clarity) and a Marshall (for drive/crunch). JC-120 chorus was always on; delay and flanger pedals were used for the riff. Ampeg VT22 may have been experimented with but Marshall was main valve amp for the record. No Les Paul or live-era amps for this part.

Tone Character(10)

spacious and swirlingbright and chiminglush chorus texturedistinctive flanger sweepcrunchy but not high-gainclear note separationechoed, atmospheric repeatsclassic 80s shimmerfull-bodied with presencedynamic pick attack

Difficulty

The riff is rhythmically straightforward but requires careful picking to maintain clarity through heavy modulation and delay, and dynamic control to keep the part articulate and punchy.

Sources

Like all great rock tracks, the song has a staggeringly simple structure": The story of The Cult's She Sells Sanctuary | MusicRadar Billy Duffy guitar lesson: how he built a Cult following | Guitar World 25 of the greatest guitar tones of all time | MusicRadar The Cult:Album tone from " Love " Let's go smart guy...The cult...She sells sanctuary | Page 2 | Guitar Forum

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