GuitarDistortedSolo80% confidence
Smoke on the Water (2024 Remaster) Guitar Tone Settings
Deep Purple · 1970s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
1970 Fender Stratocaster Sunburst Maple
Pickups
Fender single-coil pickups (stock 1970 Stratocaster)
Amp
Marshall Major 200W head with 4x12 cabinet
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1972 (Machine Head sessions, as used for the original 'Smoke on the Water' solo; 2024 Remaster is from this session). Blackmore used a Hornby-Skewes Treble Booster into the Marshall Major. No evidence of additional pedals or effects for the solo section.
Amp Settings
Mids7
Bass7.5
Gain6
Reverb2.5
Treble4.5
Presence5.5
Effects Chain
- Hornby-Skewes Treble Booster · boost
Fender Stratocaster → Hornby-Skewes Treble Booster → Marshall Major 200W head (with spring reverb, 4x12 cabinet)
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Tone Character
- big, full-bodied lead tone
- midrange-forward
- slightly compressed attack
- smooth sustain
- articulate and clear
- British crunch
- touch-sensitive response
- not overly saturated
- singing lead lines
- hollowed-out, cocked-wah character
Notes & Caveats
- Amp settings are sourced from Ultimate Guitar Wiki, which does not specify if they are for the solo section, but are consistent with typical Blackmore/Marshall Major settings for this era.
- No explicit pickup selector position for the solo, but Blackmore is widely documented to use the bridge pickup for solos in this period.
- No evidence of delay, chorus, flanger, phaser, or wah in the solo section; only a treble booster is confirmed.
- Presence setting is estimated (typical Marshall Major setting for this genre/era).
- 2024 Remaster uses the original 1972 studio recording; no evidence of modern effects or gear.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Ritchie Blackmore's solo tone on 'Smoke on the Water' is classic British rock: crunchy but not overly saturated, with strong mids, moderate bass, and clear but not harsh treble. The 2024 remaster preserves the original's dry, punchy sound with minimal reverb, and the presence is set to add clarity without harshness, matching his typical Marshall amp setup.