Still Got the Blues Amp Settings
by Gary Moore
Still Got the Blues features one of the most emotionally devastating guitar tones ever recorded. Gary Moore's Les Paul through a Marshall JCM800 and Soldano SLO-100 creates a singing, sustaining lead tone that makes grown men weep.
What Makes This Tone Iconic
Moore took the Les Paul/Marshall combination and extracted pure emotion from it. The tone sings and sustains like a human voice, with a thick midrange that carries incredible weight. His vibrato is wide and slow, giving each note a vocal quality. The slight hint of Soldano smoothness added to the Marshall's aggressive character creates a lead tone that's both powerful and heartbreakingly beautiful.
Key Tone Elements
- Marshall JCM800 2210 blended with Soldano SLO-100
- Les Paul with humbuckers for thick, sustaining lead tone
- Wide, expressive vibrato on every sustained note
- Moderate-to-high gain for singing sustain without muddiness
- Neck pickup for warm, round lead tone
Original Recording Settings
Original Gear
- Guitar
- 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard (Peter Green/Gary Moore LP, serial #9 0537)
- Pickups
- Gibson PAF (neck with reversed magnet) (neck)
- Amplifier
- Marshall JCM800 2210 / Soldano SLO-100
- Channel
- Lead
- Tuning
- standard
- Pickup Selector
- neck
- Strings
- 0.009-0.042
Both amps used. Soldano for more overdriven lead tones.
Amp Settings
Effects Chain
Playing Technique
Slow, deeply expressive with incredible vibrato and bending. Fast, intense vibrato gives crying quality. Solo builds from simple to passionate. Very dynamic.
Sources+
- Guitar World: Gary Moore interviews
- Equipboard.com - Gary Moore
- Peter Green Les Paul documentation
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