GuitarDistortedSolo80% confidence
Is This Love (2017 Remaster) Guitar Tone Settings — Whitesnake
Whitesnake · 1980s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Gibson Les Paul Custom (likely 1978 Black Beauty, John Sykes's main studio guitar for Whitesnake 1987)
Pickups
Original Gibson humbuckers (likely T-Top or Tim Shaw era, high output, passive)
Amp
Marshall JCM800 2203 head with Marshall 4x12 cabinet (studio recording, 1986-87)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording for 'Is This Love' solo section, 1986-87. John Sykes played all guitars on the album except 'Here I Go Again' solo. No evidence of alternate guitars or amps for this solo. Effects inferred from audio and era. No explicit pedalboard info for this track; settings estimated from genre, era, and typical Sykes/Whitesnake 1987 studio rig.
Amp Settings
Mids7
Bass6
Gain7.5
Reverb3
Treble7
Presence6.5
Effects Chain
- Delay pedal (model unknown) · delay
- Chorus pedal (model unknown) · chorus
Gibson Les Paul Custom → Delay pedal → Chorus pedal → Marshall JCM800 2203 head → Marshall 4x12 cab (studio plate reverb added in mix)
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Tone Character
- singing sustain
- smooth and saturated
- creamy upper mids
- tight low end
- articulate pick attack
- lush reverb tail
- long delay repeats
- fluid legato runs
- harmonic overtones
- classic 80s melodic hard rock solo sound
Notes & Caveats
- No direct source lists exact pedal or amp settings for 'Is This Love' solo; all settings estimated based on typical Sykes/Whitesnake 1987 studio rig and genre/era.
- No explicit mention of delay or chorus pedal models for this solo; delay is clearly audible on the solo, chorus is subtle but likely present as was common in 80s studio production.
- No evidence of wah, flanger, or phaser in the solo section.
- Pickup and amp model confirmed by multiple sources for the 1987 album, but not for this solo specifically.
- Settings are estimated using typical Marshall JCM800 studio settings for 80s melodic hard rock.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. John Sykes' solo tone on 'Is This Love' is classic late-80s high-gain British rock: saturated but articulate, with forward mids, tight lows, and enough treble/presence to cut through the mix. The reverb is subtle, mostly from studio ambience rather than amp spring reverb.