GuitarCleanRiff
Three Little Birds Guitar Tone Settings
Bob Marley & The Wailers · 1970s · other
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Gibson Les Paul Special (1950s, double cutaway, mahogany, P-90 pickups)
Pickups
Gibson P-90 single-coil pickups
Amp
Acoustic 270 solid-state amplifier (likely, based on era and Marley’s known studio rig; Fender Twin Reverb also sometimes cited for reggae, but not confirmed for this track)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup (for main riff/skank rhythm)
Studio recording, 1977 (Exodus sessions). Guitar World and other sources confirm Les Paul Special with P-90s for Marley’s main reggae rhythm work. No evidence of pedal use on this studio recording; clean amp tone with light reverb. Pickup choice for riff is likely bridge, but some sources suggest neck for melodies.
Amp Settings
Mids5.5
Bass4.5
Gain0
Reverb2.5
Treble6.5
Presence5
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Tone Character
- clean and percussive
- short, staccato chords
- tight and rhythmic
- warm and slightly rounded
- articulate highs
- emphasised upper strings
- lightly reverberant
- muted attack
- no breakup or distortion
- clear, defined skank