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Riff Tone

Roundabout

Yes

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

Guitar1971 Gibson ES-175D
AmpFender Twin Reverb (blackface, early 1970s)

Amp Settings

gain4
bass6

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Effects & Signal Chain

Notes

Studio recording, 1971. Steve Howe used his ES-175D for the main riff of 'Roundabout' on the Fragile album. The amp is widely cited as a Fender Twin Reverb, which was his primary studio amp for this era. No evidence of pedals or outboard effects on the riff section; the tone is achieved with guitar and amp only. Pickup selector and knob settings inferred from typical usage and era.

Tone Character(10)
bright and articulateclear note separationslightly compressed edge-of-breakupwarm but present midrangetight low endpercussive pick attackdynamic response to pickingclassic jazzbox claritytouch-sensitiveno audible pedal coloration

Difficulty

The riff requires fast, accurate alternate picking, clean string skipping, and precise chord voicings at tempo, making it challenging for most players.

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