ToneAdapt

Loading...

Back to Community

Riff Tone

Cortez the Killer

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

Guitar1953 Gibson Les Paul 'Old Black' (heavily modified, Bigsby vibrato, Firebird bridge pickup)
AmpFender Tweed Deluxe 5E3 (wide panel, early 1950s, cranked)

Amp Settings

gain7.5
bass6.5

Create an account to see all tone details

Create Free Account

Effects & Signal Chain

Notes

Studio recording, 1975. Neil Young's 'Old Black' Les Paul into a cranked Fender Tweed Deluxe 5E3. No evidence of pedals in the riff section; amp is run at maximum volume for natural overdrive. Guitar is in Double Drop D tuning. All sources agree this is the classic Neil Young Crazy Horse studio setup for 'Cortez the Killer'.

Tone Character(10)
raw and organicwarm, vintage crunchgritty and earthydynamic and touch-sensitivesustaining, singing lead lineslo-fi analogue texturerich, high gain soundsumptuous, thick midrangeslightly fuzzy breakupopen, resonant chords

Difficulty

The riff is technically straightforward but requires strong dynamic control and feel to manage the loud, touch-sensitive, overdriven amp and to maintain the hypnotic groove of the song.

Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear

Create Free Account