GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
Detroit Rock City Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Kiss
Kiss · 1970s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
1973 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe
Pickups
Stock mini-humbuckers
Amp
Marshall Super Lead 100 (model 1959, early 1970s, likely through Marshall 4x12 cabinet with Celestion G12M speakers)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1976. No evidence of pedals used for the riff section; classic Les Paul into cranked Marshall setup. All evidence points to Ace Frehley using his Les Paul Deluxe with mini-humbuckers into a Marshall Super Lead for the studio recording of 'Detroit Rock City'.
Amp Settings
Mids7
Bass6
Gain7
Reverb2
Treble7
Presence6
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Tone Character
- British crunch
- tight and punchy
- aggressive bridge pickup attack
- clear note separation
- slightly compressed
- dynamic and responsive
- medium-high gain
- articulate riffing
- slight room ambience
- no audible effects
Notes & Caveats
- No direct studio knob settings found; amp and guitar model confirmed by multiple sources and era photos.
- Settings estimated based on typical Marshall Super Lead usage for classic rock in the 1970s and listening to the isolated riff track.
- No evidence of pedals or effects used on the riff section; all effects inferred from amp and room sound.
- Pickup choice inferred from tone and era photos; Ace Frehley almost always used bridge pickup for rhythm.
- Reverb is room/ambience, not pedal or amp spring reverb.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Paul Stanley and Ace Frehley used 70s Marshalls set for classic hard rock crunch with strong mids and moderate gain; the tone is punchy, mid-forward, and not overly saturated, with subtle studio reverb for space but a mostly dry, direct sound typical of mid-70s hard rock production.