GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
Is This Love (2017 Remaster) Guitar Tone Settings — Whitesnake
Whitesnake · 1980s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Peavey Vandenberg
Pickups
Peavey Vandenberg humbuckers (likely DiMarzio or Peavey-branded, high-output, passive)
Amp
Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ Head
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1986-1987 for the 'Whitesnake' (1987) album. Gear confirmed for Adrian Vandenberg on this track's riff section. No evidence of live/tour substitutions or alternate guitars for the main riff. No explicit mention of effects loop use in studio.
Amp Settings
Mids6.5
Bass6
Gain6.5
Reverb3
Treble7
Presence6.5
Effects Chain
- Chorus pedal (model unknown) · chorus
Peavey Vandenberg → Chorus pedal → Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (spring reverb on amp)
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Tone Character
- chorused and wide stereo image
- melodic and sustained
- bright and articulate
- smooth and slightly compressed
- tight and focused mids
- polished and processed
- subtle reverb ambience
- moderate gain, not high-gain
- 80s arena rock shimmer
- clear note separation
Notes & Caveats
- No direct numeric amp settings found; settings estimated based on typical 80s Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ usage for melodic rock rhythm tones.
- No explicit pedal model for chorus effect; chorus is clearly audible in the riff and widely discussed as a key part of the sound.
- No evidence of delay, flanger, phaser, or wah in the riff section; only chorus and subtle reverb are present.
- Pickup model not specified in sources, but Peavey Vandenberg stock humbuckers are most likely.
- No explicit mention of effects loop use in studio context.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. The 'Is This Love' riff tone is classic 80s British hard rock: saturated but not ultra-high gain, with punchy mids, balanced bass, and clear but not piercing highs. Whitesnake's Sykes/Vandenberg era favored Marshall-style amps with forward mids and moderate reverb, matching these settings.