GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
Rocky Mountain Way Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Joe Walsh
Joe Walsh · 1970s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Gibson Les Paul Standard (early 1970s, sunburst, humbuckers)
Pickups
Gibson PAF-style humbuckers
Amp
Roland Cube-60 (orange, painted black, used to drive talk box and main amp sound)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1972-1973. The Roland Cube-60 was used to drive the Heil Sound Talk Box for the riff section. No evidence of other amps or guitars for the main riff. All gear confirmed for studio recording, not live.
Amp Settings
Mids7
Bass6.5
Gain5.5
Reverb2.5
Treble7
Presence6
Effects Chain
- Heil Sound Talk Box V1 · other
Gibson Les Paul Standard → Heil Sound Talk Box V1 → Roland Cube-60 (used to drive talk box, amp speaker not used for main output)
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.
Adapt to MY Gear →7-day free trial · Cancel anytime.
Tone Character
- chewy and vocal-like (due to talk box)
- classic rock crunch
- midrange punch
- articulate attack
- tight, percussive rhythm
- slightly compressed
- edge-of-breakup drive
- warm, harmonically rich
- distinct talk box vocal effect
- not high-gain, but saturated
Notes & Caveats
- No direct numeric amp knob settings found in sources; settings estimated based on typical Roland Cube-60 use for classic rock in early 1970s and genre/era conventions.
- No explicit pickup selector position stated, but bridge pickup is strongly inferred from tone and era.
- No evidence of additional pedals or effects beyond the Heil Sound Talk Box for the riff section.
- No evidence of amp reverb or other amp-based effects used in the riff section; Cube-60 has basic reverb, estimated at low setting.
- If more specific amp settings or alternate guitar models are found in future sources, update accordingly.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Joe Walsh's 'Rocky Mountain Way' riff tone is classic early-70s crunchy blues rock, likely using a cranked Fender or Marshall with a slide, favoring strong mids and a slightly scooped but warm low end. The gain is edge-of-breakup to crunchy, with moderate reverb and presence for clarity, matching the thick, sustaining, yet articulate character of the recording.