GuitarDistortedRiff
Ring of Fire Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Social Distortion
Social Distortion · 1990s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely late 1970s/early 1980s, as used by Mike Ness on Social Distortion's 'White Light, White Heat, White Trash' and era live shows)
Pickups
P-90 single coil (stock on Mike Ness's Les Pauls of this era, confirmed by multiple interviews and visual evidence from the 1990s)
Amp
Marshall JCM800 2203 head into Marshall 4x12 cabinet (studio recording, 1996)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1996. Mike Ness is known for using a Les Paul with P-90s into a cranked Marshall JCM800 for this era and album. No evidence of alternate guitars or amps for this song's riff section. No pedalboard evidence for this specific track; Ness is known for minimal pedal use in the studio for rhythm parts.
Amp Settings
Mids7
Bass6
Gain6
Reverb2.5
Treble6.5
Presence6
Tone Matcher
Match This Tone to Your Gear
Tell us your guitar and amp — we’ll calculate the exact settings translated to your specific rig.
7-day free trial · Cancel anytime.
Tone Character
- compressed and tight
- mid-forward punch
- aggressive attack
- slightly saturated crunch
- articulate pick attack
- warm but biting
- clear note separation
- British amp character
- no excessive gain
- dry, upfront sound