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Bad Boys (2017 Remaster) Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Whitesnake
Whitesnake · 1980s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Gibson Les Paul Custom (John Sykes' main guitar on Whitesnake 1987 album)
Pickups
Original Gibson humbuckers (likely Tim Shaw-era PAF-style, high output)
Amp
Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ and/or Mark III Coliseum head (studio recording, 1986-87)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording for Whitesnake's 1987 album (remastered 2017). John Sykes used his white Les Paul Custom into Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ and Mark III Coliseum heads, sometimes with a Kasha Rockmod preamp. No evidence of live rig or other guitars for this riff section.
Amp Settings
Mids6
Bass6
Gain8
Reverb2
Treble7
Presence6.5
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Tone Character
- tight and saturated
- aggressive palm-muting
- harmonically rich
- articulate pick attack
- thick, punchy midrange
- high-output humbucker bite
- British-American hybrid amp voicing
- percussive and driving
- minimal ambience
- dry, focused distortion
Notes & Caveats
- No direct numeric amp settings found for this specific song/section; settings estimated based on typical Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+/III usage for Sykes on the 1987 album and genre conventions.
- No evidence of pedal use for the riff section; distortion is from amp and/or preamp.
- No evidence of modulation or time-based effects in the riff section; tone is dry and direct.
- Pickup choice inferred from typical Sykes usage and the bright, aggressive tone of the riff.
- If alternate amp models (e.g., Marshall JCM800) were used, settings may vary slightly.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Whitesnake's 'Bad Boys' riff features a saturated, punchy 80s hard rock tone typical of Sykes-era Whitesnake, likely using a cranked Marshall or Soldano with high gain, forward mids, and tight bass. The production is dry with minimal reverb, and the presence is boosted for clarity and bite, matching the genre and era.