GuitarDistortedRiff
Don't Stop Believin' (2024 Remaster) Guitar Tone Settings
Journey · 1980s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
1977 Gibson Les Paul Pro Deluxe (black, Floyd Rose, active electronics, yellow Ferrari sticker)
Pickups
Gibson P-90 single coils (stock for Pro Deluxe, but may have been swapped for humbuckers or active pickups; most evidence points to P-90s or custom humbuckers for this era/recording)
Amp
Marshall Plexi 1959SLP (likely, based on era and genre; no direct studio confirmation, but this is the most cited and plausible for the Escape album)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1981 (Escape album, original recording, not live or modern re-recording). Guitar heavily modified with Floyd Rose tremolo and active electronics. No evidence of modern digital rigs or Blackstar amps for this studio session; those are for later live use.
Amp Settings
Mids7
Bass6
Gain6
Reverb2.5
Treble7
Presence6
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Tone Character
- British crunch
- warm and mid-forward
- tight and articulate
- clear note separation
- punchy attack
- singing sustain
- dynamic response
- not overly saturated
- slight amp breakup
- classic rock rhythm