GuitarDistortedRiff
Purple Rain Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Prince & The Revolution
Prince & The Revolution · 1980s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Rickenbacker (sealed body, G&L pickups, custom-modded for sustain and feedback resistance)
Pickups
G&L single-coil pickups (custom installed in Rickenbacker)
Amp
Mesa/Boogie Mark I
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1984. Wendy Melvoin played the riff on a sealed Rickenbacker with G&L pickups into a Boss CE-1 chorus and Mesa/Boogie Mark I amp. This is the original studio setup, not live or modern recreations.
Amp Settings
Mids7
Bass6
Gain4.5
Reverb4
Treble7
Presence6
Effects Chain
- Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble · chorus
Rickenbacker (G&L pickups) → Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble → Mesa/Boogie Mark I (with spring reverb)
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Tone Character
- bright and articulate
- chiming, lush modulation
- clear note separation
- touch-sensitive dynamics
- snappy attack
- light and airy
- subtle breakup at higher picking intensity
- studio clarity
- chorus shimmer
- not heavily overdriven