Solo Tone
Ziggy Stardust (2012 Remaster)
David Bowie
Guitarrock1970s
Original Gear
GuitarGibson Les Paul Custom (early 1970s, likely 1968 model)
AmpMarshall Major 200W head into Marshall 4x12 cabinet
PickupsGibson PAF-style humbuckers
Amp Settings
gain6
bass6
mid7
treble7
reverb2.5
presence6
Effects & Signal Chain
fuzzSola Sound Sola Sound Tone Bender MK1
Notes
Studio recording, 1972 (used for 'The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars', 2012 Remaster is a remaster of this original session). Mick Ronson played the solo, not Bowie. No evidence of live/tour gear being used in the studio for this track.
Tone Character(10)
singing sustainrich midrangeclassic British crunchfuzzed-out lead toneaggressive attackwide vibratocutting upper midstight low endharmonic overtonespunchy solo presence
Difficulty
The solo requires intermediate technique due to expressive vibrato, accurate bends, and managing sustain/feedback from a fuzzed-out amp, but does not involve extreme speed or complex picking patterns.
Sources
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Original Gear
GuitarGibson Les Paul Custom (early 1970s, likely 1968 model)
AmpMarshall Major 200W head into Marshall 4x12 cabinet
PickupsGibson PAF-style humbuckers
Amp Settings
gain6
bass6
mid7
treble7
reverb2.5
presence6
Effects & Signal Chain
fuzzSola Sound Sola Sound Tone Bender MK1
Notes
Studio recording, 1972 (used for 'The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars', 2012 Remaster is a remaster of this original session). Mick Ronson played the solo, not Bowie. No evidence of live/tour gear being used in the studio for this track.
Tone Character(10)
singing sustainrich midrangeclassic British crunchfuzzed-out lead toneaggressive attackwide vibratocutting upper midstight low endharmonic overtonespunchy solo presence
Difficulty
The solo requires intermediate technique due to expressive vibrato, accurate bends, and managing sustain/feedback from a fuzzed-out amp, but does not involve extreme speed or complex picking patterns.
Ziggy Stardust (2012 Remaster) settings for your amp
Exact settings ToneAdapt players use on these amps.
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