GuitarDistortedRiff
Civil War Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses · 1990s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Gibson Les Paul Custom
Pickups
Humbucker (likely Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro, as per Slash's typical setup of the era)
Amp
Marshall JCM25/50 2555 Silver Jubilee 100W Head
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, Use Your Illusion I sessions (1990-1991). Rhythm/riff section. No evidence of alternate guitars or amps for the main riff. No evidence of pedal-based distortion; amp provides drive. Tuning is half-step down (Eb standard).
Amp Settings
Mids7
Bass6
Gain6.5
Reverb2
Treble6.5
Presence6
Effects Chain
- Boss GE-7 Graphic Equalizer · eq
Gibson Les Paul Custom → (Boss GE-7 Graphic EQ, possibly) → Marshall Silver Jubilee 2555 (with light spring reverb)
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Tone Character
- British crunch
- warm and mid-forward
- tight, percussive attack
- articulate pick response
- slightly compressed
- singing sustain
- rich harmonic content
- dynamic and responsive
- not overly saturated
- clear note separation