GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
There's No Other Way Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Blur
Blur · 1990s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
1980 Gibson Les Paul Custom
Pickups
Gibson humbuckers (stock, late 70s/early 80s)
Amp
Marshall 1959SLP 100-watt Super Lead
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1990/1991 for 'Leisure' album. Graham Coxon is confirmed to have used his black 1980 Les Paul Custom and Marshall Super Lead for the riff/distorted sections. No evidence of alternate guitars or amps for this part. No studio trickery or unusual gear reported.
Amp Settings
Mids7
Bass6
Gain6
Reverb2.5
Treble7
Presence6
Effects Chain
- ProCo RAT Distortion · distortion
Guitar → ProCo RAT → Marshall 1959SLP Super Lead (with light spring reverb)
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Tone Character
- chunky and insistent
- wall-of-guitars texture
- midrange-forward crunch
- tight and punchy
- slightly fuzzy edge
- dynamic and responsive
- not overly saturated
- classic British rock crunch
- fat, strummed chords
- articulate attack
Notes & Caveats
- No direct studio amp knob settings found; settings estimated based on typical Marshall Super Lead usage for early 90s Britpop/rock and genre conventions.
- Pedal usage for this specific riff is not confirmed by primary sources; forum posts and genre analysis suggest ProCo RAT distortion pedal is likely, but not 100% confirmed for this exact song section.
- No evidence of modulation or time-based effects (chorus, delay, flanger, etc.) on the main riff section; the tone is dry and direct.
- If more specific studio notes or interviews surface, settings may need revision.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Graham Coxon's riff tone on 'There's No Other Way' is classic early-90s Britpop: crunchy but not high-gain, with pronounced mids and a slightly jangly top end, likely from a Telecaster through a Vox AC30 with moderate reverb and presence. The settings reflect British rock conventions and the song's bright, forward guitar sound.