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Brown Sugar (Live At Stadia Delle Alpi, Turin, Italy / 1990 / 2009 Remaster) — The Rolling Stones1 / 2
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GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence

Brown Sugar (Live At Stadia Delle Alpi, Turin, Italy / 1990 / 2009 Remaster) Guitar Tone Settings

The Rolling Stones · 1990s · rock

live

Original Recording

Guitar
Fender Telecaster 'Micawber' (butterscotch, 5-string, open G tuning)
Pickups
Bridge: Fender lap steel single-coil, Neck: Gibson PAF humbucker
Amp
Fender Twin Reverb (likely Silverface, cranked)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup

Live performance, 1990, riff section. Keith Richards' main live guitar for 'Brown Sugar' is 'Micawber', set up for open G with only five strings. Amp is a Fender Twin Reverb, typically run very loud and clean with breakup from volume. No evidence of pedals in the main riff section for this era; effects are from amp only.

Amp Settings

Mids
7
Bass
6
Gain
6
Reverb
3
Treble
7
Presence
6

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Tone Character

  • bright and biting
  • percussive and rhythmic
  • open and airy
  • dynamic and responsive
  • slightly gritty crunch
  • articulate attack
  • classic Telecaster twang
  • tight, focused midrange
  • natural amp breakup
  • subtle spring reverb ambience

Notes & Caveats

  • ⚠️No direct numeric amp settings for the 1990 live version found; amp settings estimated based on typical Fender Twin Reverb use for Stones live shows and genre/era conventions.
  • ⚠️No evidence of pedals or additional effects in the riff section for this live version; signal is guitar straight into amp.
  • ⚠️Pickup choice inferred from consistent use of 'Micawber' Telecaster bridge pickup for this song live.
  • ⚠️Settings are not from official rig rundown for this specific live show, but based on multiple reputable sources and live Stones tone conventions.
  • ⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Keith Richards' 'Brown Sugar' live tone in 1990 is classic British rock crunch with strong mids, moderate gain, and balanced bass/treble, using Telecasters into cranked Fender Twins or Ampegs. The mix is dry with just a touch of reverb for space, and presence is set to add clarity without harshness.

Sources