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Riff Tone

Don't Stop Believin'

Journey

Guitarrock1980s

Original Gear

GuitarGibson Les Paul Custom (late 1970s, black, with DiMarzio Super Distortion bridge pickup)
AmpMarshall JMP 2203 100-watt head into Marshall 4x12 cabinet (studio recording, 1981)

Amp Settings

gain6.5
bass6

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Effects & Signal Chain

Notes

Studio recording, 1981. Neal Schon used his black Les Paul Custom with a DiMarzio Super Distortion in the bridge for the main riff. Amp was a Marshall JMP 2203 head into a Marshall 4x12. No evidence of other guitars or amps for the riff section. Effects are minimal; most of the tone is guitar-amp. Volume pedal used for fade-in at intro.

Tone Character(10)
tight and punchybright and articulateclear note separationslight edge of breakupmedium sustainbridge pickup biteclassic Marshall crunchnot overly saturatedpresent midscontrolled low end

Difficulty

The riff requires intermediate skill due to syncopated picking, precise timing for the fade-in, and clean articulation to maintain note separation and clarity.

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