ToneAdapt

Loading...

Back to Community

Riff Tone

The Man Who Sold the World (2015 Remaster)

David Bowie

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

GuitarGibson Les Paul Custom (early 1970s, likely 1968 model, as used by Mick Ronson)
AmpWEM (Watkins Electric Music) 200-watt tube amplifier with WEM 2x18 cabinets

Amp Settings

gain6.5
bass6.5

Create an account to see all tone details

Create Free Account

Effects & Signal Chain

Notes

Studio recording, 1970 (album recorded in 1970, remastered in 2015). Mick Ronson played the main riff on the original studio version. No evidence of pedal use for the riff section; all overdrive/distortion comes from amp pushed to high volume. No chorus, delay, or modulation effects audible or documented for the riff. No evidence of effects loop or studio trickery for the guitar riff.

Tone Character(10)
thick and mid-forwardBritish crunchtight, punchy attacksaturated tube breakupfull-bodied humbucker soundraw and unprocessedslight natural compressionno ambient reverbclassic rock riff claritysustain with bite

Difficulty

The riff requires tight timing and muting for clarity, but uses straightforward chord shapes and moderate tempo, making it accessible to intermediate players.

Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear

Create Free Account