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Billion Dollar Babies Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper · 1970s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Gibson Les Paul Standard (Hunterburst, Steve Hunter's guitar on the recording)
Pickups
Humbuckers (likely Gibson PAF-style, original to the Les Paul Standard)
Amp
Marshall amplifier (exact model not specified, likely a Plexi or Super Lead, as used in early 1970s rock sessions)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1972-1973, Billion Dollar Babies album. Steve Hunter played the main riff section using his Hunterburst Les Paul through a cranked Marshall amp. No evidence of live/touring rig or alternate guitars for this part.
Amp Settings
Mids3.5
Bass4.5
Gain7.5
Reverb2
Treble8
Presence6.5
Effects Chain
- Overdrive pedal (model unknown) · overdrive
Gibson Les Paul Standard → Overdrive pedal (if used) → Marshall amp (spring reverb low)
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Tone Character
- aggressive British crunch
- tight and percussive attack
- bright and cutting
- focused mid-scoop
- classic 1970s hard rock edge
- saturated but not fuzzy
- articulate riff clarity
- punchy low end (though not boomy)
- slightly compressed dynamics
- raw, in-your-face presence
Notes & Caveats
- No official studio documentation of amp model or settings; settings are based on a forum post and typical 1970s Marshall usage.
- No direct evidence of pedals used on the studio recording; overdrive pedal mentioned in forum may be speculative.
- Pickup choice inferred from typical hard rock riff tone and Les Paul bridge pickup usage.
- Effects are estimated based on genre and era; no explicit mention of delay or modulation effects in sources.
- Settings from Source 1 are extreme (bass and mids at 0, treble at 10); these are likely exaggerated for effect and have been slightly moderated for realism.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. The 'Billion Dollar Babies' riff has a classic early-70s British crunch with pronounced mids, moderate gain, and a tight but not overly scooped low end, characteristic of cranked Marshall-style amps used by Alice Cooper's guitarists. The tone is punchy and forward, with subtle reverb from the era's production, and settings reflect typical hard rock conventions of the time.