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Civil War — Guns N' Roses1 / 2
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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

Mids
7
Bass
6
Gain
6.5
Reverb
2
Treble
6.5
Presence
6

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

Notes & Caveats

  • ⚠️No direct numeric amp settings found for this song/section; settings estimated based on typical Marshall Silver Jubilee usage for Slash in this era and genre.
  • ⚠️No evidence of distortion/overdrive pedals used for the riff section; all drive from amp.
  • ⚠️No evidence of modulation, delay, or reverb pedals in the riff section; only possible amp reverb at low setting.
  • ⚠️Roland JC-120 is sometimes used by Slash for clean overdubs, but not for the main riff section.
  • ⚠️Some sources mention Guild or SG double-necks for live or intro/clean parts, but main riff is confirmed Les Paul + Marshall.
  • ⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Slash's 'Civil War' riff tone is classic Marshall crunch—thick, mid-forward, and articulate but not overly saturated. The settings reflect his Les Paul into a JCM800/Jubilee, with moderate gain, strong mids, balanced bass/treble, and subtle reverb for space, matching the early 90s hard rock production.

Sources