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Tom Sawyer (Live) Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Rush
Rush · 2010s+ · rock
live
Original Recording
Guitar
Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion
Pickups
Gibson humbuckers (one 'hot' bridge, one custom-wound neck)
Amp
Hughes & Kettner Coreblade 100W Head
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Live performance, early 2010s (Time Machine/Clockwork Angels era). Lifeson used the Howard Roberts Fusion for 'Tom Sawyer' live, paired with the H&K Coreblade amp, which has built-in effects. Studio recording used different gear, but this is for live as requested.
Amp Settings
Mids7
Bass6
Gain6
Reverb2.5
Treble7
Presence6.5
Effects Chain
- Chorus pedal (model unknown) · chorus
Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion → Chorus pedal (model unknown) → Hughes & Kettner Coreblade (with digital reverb and built-in chorus)
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Tone Character
- tight, percussive rhythm attack
- crunchy, harmonically rich chords
- articulate, cutting midrange
- slight modulation shimmer
- present, but not harsh treble
- full-bodied, not overly saturated
- dynamic, responsive to picking
- classic rock crunch with modern clarity
Notes & Caveats
- No direct numeric amp settings for live 'Tom Sawyer' found; settings estimated based on typical Hughes & Kettner Coreblade usage for classic Rush tones and genre/era norms.
- Pedal/effect models for live version not explicitly listed in sources; modulation effect inferred from audio and Coreblade's built-in effects.
- Studio version used different gear (Marshall/Fender/Mesa/Bogner amps, Les Paul/ES-355), but this is for live as requested.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Alex Lifeson’s live 'Tom Sawyer' tone is a classic 80s rock crunch with prominent mids and clarity, using Hiwatt/Marshall amps and chorus effects. The gain is set for articulate crunch, mids are pushed for cut, and reverb is minimal to keep the riff tight in a live mix.