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Solo Tone

The Final Countdown

Europe

Guitarrock1980s

Original Gear

Guitar1965 Fender Stratocaster (Olympic White, with DiMarzio FS-1 bridge pickup)
AmpMarshall JCM800 2205 50-Watt Amplifier Head (KT88 tubes, stock otherwise)

Amp Settings

gain7
bass6

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Effects & Signal Chain

Notes

Studio recording, 1986. John Norum explicitly states using his '65 Strat for the solo. Amp is confirmed as JCM800 2205, with KT88 tubes swapped in for EL34s. No evidence of Les Paul or other guitars on the studio solo. Effects chain is minimal; pedalboard not used, but delay is clearly audible in the solo. No chorus or flanger present. Studio Neve preamp may have been used for tracking.

Tone Character(10)
singing sustainbright and articulatetight, focused attackcutting upper midsfluid legato runsclear note separationmoderate amp reverbclassic 80s rock lead sounddelay repeats in solominimal modulation

Difficulty

The solo requires advanced lead technique, including fast runs, expressive bends, and tight synchronization with delay repeats, making it challenging for most intermediate players.

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