GuitarDistortedRiff
Still Of The Night (2017 Remaster) Guitar Tone Settings
Whitesnake · 1980s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Gibson Les Paul Custom (1978, black, with chrome hardware, used by John Sykes)
Pickups
Gibson Dirty Fingers humbuckers (original, high output, ceramic magnet)
Amp
Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ Head (studio recording, 1986-1987)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording for 'Still Of The Night' (1987 album, 2017 remaster is the same take). John Sykes used his black 1978 Les Paul Custom with Dirty Fingers pickups into a Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ head, likely boosted with a Boss DS-1 Distortion for extra gain. No evidence of modulation or time-based pedals in the riff section; the tone is dry, tight, and high-gain. These settings are for the studio recording, not live.
Amp Settings
Mids6
Bass6
Gain8
Reverb1.5
Treble7
Presence6.5
Effects Chain
- Boss DS-1 Distortion · distortion
Guitar → Boss DS-1 Distortion → Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ Head (low spring reverb)
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Tone Character
- tight and percussive
- aggressive palm muting
- saturated high-gain distortion
- articulate pick attack
- chunky low end
- cutting upper mids
- minimal ambience
- fast note decay
- high-output humbucker clarity
- studio-polished heaviness