Parisienne Walkways Solo Guitar Tone Settings — Gary Moore
Gary Moore · 1970s · blues
studio
Original Recording
Studio recording, 1978. Gary Moore used the 'Greeny' Les Paul plugged into a Marshall JTM45 reissue amp set clean with mids up. The clean intro/verse/solo section is from the original studio version, not live. No evidence of other guitars or amps for the clean section in the studio.
Amp Settings
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Tone Character
- warm and smooth
- singing sustain
- bell-like attack
- touch-sensitive
- rounded highs
- slightly compressed
- clear note separation
- gentle breakup at high picking intensity
- classic British clean
- long sustain from feedback
Playing Technique
- Support bends with multiple fingers · difficulty 4/5Place two supporting fingers behind the bending finger and rotate the wrist as one unit. This gives enough control to reach pitch slowly and hold it without the note collapsing.
- Add vibrato after reaching pitch · difficulty 5/5Pause briefly at the top of the bend, then pulse around the target with the wrist. Vibrato during the climb blurs the emotional arrival and makes the sustain sound uncontrolled.
- Use distance for natural sustain · difficulty 4/5At performance volume, find a position where the speaker reinforces the note, then control it with guitar angle and muting. More gain is not a substitute for a stable fretted note and controlled feedback.
- Make soft notes genuinely softer · difficulty 3/5Reduce pick depth between phrase peaks instead of turning down the guitar mid-line. The clearer tone rewards a wide dynamic range and makes the climactic attacks feel much larger.
Sources
Tone Story / Why This Tone Works
- Style and eraThe track comes from Moore's late-1970s Back on the Streets era and became an early signature of his melodic blues-rock voice.
- Gary Moore's touchExact bends, wide controlled vibrato, large dynamic shifts, and the confidence to hold one note make the guitar feel vocal.
- Why the clearer tone worksStrong mids, rounded highs, and light compression let a Les Paul-style note bloom without hiding the initial pick attack.
- Why it remains powerfulThe sparse melody exposes every bend and decay, so touch itself becomes the effect and the sustain feels earned.
What Fans Are Saying About This Tone?
A popular reaction argued that leaving Moore off a greatest-guitarists list says more about the list than the player.
Vote your takeFans describe Moore's playing as emotional enough to bring them to tears.
Vote your takeOne listener singled out Moore's rare ability to combine advanced technique with genuine feeling.
Vote your takeAnother fan felt that Moore and the guitar sounded less like separate things than one voice.
Vote your takeRepeated listens still give fans the same goosebumps as the first one.
Vote your take