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Riff Tone
Crying In the Rain
Whitesnake
Guitarrock1980s
Original Gear
GuitarGibson Les Paul Custom (John Sykes' 1978 model, likely used for 1987 album re-recording)
AmpMarshall JCM800 2203 head with Marshall 4x12 cabinet (studio recording, 1987 album version)
Amp Settings
gain7
bass6
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Notes
Studio recording, 1987 album re-recording of 'Crying In the Rain' riff section. John Sykes used his signature white Gibson Les Paul Custom into a Marshall JCM800 2203. No evidence of pedal use for the main riff, just guitar straight into amp. No live/tour gear included. Year: 1986-1987.
Tone Character(10)
tight and saturatedaggressive palm mutinghigh-output humbucker punchBritish high-gain cruncharticulate pick attackpercussive low endsinging sustain on chordsthick, harmonically rich distortionmodern 80s hard rock soundminimal ambience, dry amp tone
Difficulty
The riff requires tight, fast alternate picking and precise palm muting for clarity, with syncopated timing and aggressive attack to match the high-gain tone. Intermediate to advanced players will find the riff challenging due to its speed and articulation demands.
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Create Free AccountGuitarrock1980s
Original Gear
GuitarGibson Les Paul Custom (John Sykes' 1978 model, likely used for 1987 album re-recording)
AmpMarshall JCM800 2203 head with Marshall 4x12 cabinet (studio recording, 1987 album version)
Amp Settings
gain7
bass6
Create an account to see all tone details
Create Free AccountEffects & Signal Chain
Notes
Studio recording, 1987 album re-recording of 'Crying In the Rain' riff section. John Sykes used his signature white Gibson Les Paul Custom into a Marshall JCM800 2203. No evidence of pedal use for the main riff, just guitar straight into amp. No live/tour gear included. Year: 1986-1987.
Tone Character(10)
tight and saturatedaggressive palm mutinghigh-output humbucker punchBritish high-gain cruncharticulate pick attackpercussive low endsinging sustain on chordsthick, harmonically rich distortionmodern 80s hard rock soundminimal ambience, dry amp tone
Difficulty
The riff requires tight, fast alternate picking and precise palm muting for clarity, with syncopated timing and aggressive attack to match the high-gain tone. Intermediate to advanced players will find the riff challenging due to its speed and articulation demands.