GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
Working Man (Remastered 2013) Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Rush
Rush · 1970s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Gibson ES-335
Pickups
Gibson humbuckers (stock, late 1960s/early 1970s)
Amp
Marshall Super Lead 100 (Plexi, late 1960s/early 1970s)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1974 (original), remastered in 2013. Gear confirmed for studio recording of 'Working Man' riff section. No evidence of pedals or effects used on the original recording; all distortion is amp-based. No evidence of live/touring gear or modern amps/pedals used on this track.
Amp Settings
Mids7
Bass6
Gain7
Reverb0.5
Treble7
Presence6
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Tone Character
- classic British crunch
- thick and saturated
- warm and mid-forward
- open and dynamic
- aggressive pick attack
- full-bodied low end
- vintage humbucker character
- raw and uncompressed
- distinct amp overdrive
- no ambient effects
Notes & Caveats
- No direct numeric amp settings found in sources; settings estimated based on typical Marshall Plexi usage for classic rock in the 1970s and audio analysis.
- No evidence of pedals or effects used on the original studio recording; all distortion is amp-based.
- No evidence of reverb, delay, chorus, flanger, or other time/modulation effects in the riff section.
- Gear and settings are for the studio recording, not live performances.
- Pickup position inferred from typical classic rock rhythm tone and audio analysis.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Alex Lifeson used a Gibson ES-335 into a Marshall Super Lead for 'Working Man' (1974), producing a classic British crunch with strong mids and moderate gain. The tone is thick, mid-forward, and punchy with minimal reverb, matching the era's hard rock conventions and Lifeson's amp preferences.