GuitarCleanRiff80% confidence
November Rain 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)
Amp
Marshall JCM25/50 2555 Silver Jubilee 100W Head
Pickup Position
Neck pickup
Studio recording, 1990-1991. Gear confirmed for Use Your Illusion I sessions. Clean riff section uses neck pickup with tone rolled down. No evidence of alternate guitars or amps for clean riff section.
Amp Settings
Mids7
Bass5.5
Gain0
Reverb3.5
Treble7
Presence6
Effects Chain
- Delay pedal (model unknown) · delay
Gibson Les Paul Custom (neck pickup, tone rolled down) → Delay pedal (model unknown) → Marshall Silver Jubilee (clean channel, spring reverb on)
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Tone Character
- warm and rounded
- smooth neck pickup sound
- mellow highs due to tone knob rolled down
- clear note separation
- subtle ambience from delay/reverb
- soft attack
- not bright or piercing
- full-bodied clean
- slightly compressed feel
- lush, atmospheric
Notes & Caveats
- Gain adjusted to 0 for clean tone
- No direct studio documentation of amp knob settings for the clean riff; settings estimated based on user reports and typical Marshall Silver Jubilee clean settings.
- Pedal/effect models for delay and reverb are not confirmed for the clean riff; delay is audible in the recording, but pedal or rack unit is not specified.
- Presence and reverb levels are estimated based on typical Silver Jubilee clean tones and the audible ambience in the recording.
- Some sources mention Boss GE-7 EQ in Slash's rig, but no evidence it was used for the clean riff section.
- All settings are for the studio recording, not live performances.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Slash's 'November Rain' riff tone is a classic Les Paul into a Marshall with moderate gain for sustain and clarity, boosted mids for lead presence, balanced bass and treble, moderate presence for air, and subtle reverb for depth typical of early 90s hard rock ballads.