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Riff Tone

You Really Got Me

Van Halen

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

GuitarIbanez Destroyer (Korina, 1975, stock humbuckers, later known as 'The Shark')
AmpMarshall Super Lead 1959 100-watt (plexi, late 1960s/early 1970s, unmodified for Van Halen I sessions, run through a Variac at 89V)

Amp Settings

gain0
bass5.5

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Effects & Signal Chain

Notes

Studio recording, 1977-1978 for Van Halen I. The Ibanez Destroyer was used for all non-tremolo tracks including 'You Really Got Me' riff. Amp was run through a Variac to reduce voltage. No evidence of clean amp settings or clean passages in the riff section; all sources and audio indicate a heavily overdriven tone for the main riff. No evidence of a clean guitar section in the riff for this song.

Tone Character(10)
Bright and articulate (if amp set clean)Full-bodied midrangeClear attackTight bass responseOpen and dynamicNo audible breakupNo reverb or ambienceNo modulation or time-based effectsDirect, unprocessed soundClassic rock clean (if amp set clean, but not on original recording)

Difficulty

The riff is fast and requires tight, aggressive picking and quick chord changes, but uses basic power chords and straightforward rhythm, making it accessible to intermediate players.

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