TONEDB

lead guitar from “i bet you look good...” by arctic monkeys | ToneDB

i bet you look good...

arctic monkeys

lead guitar

95% ai confidence

Tone Profile

A raw, energetic, and slightly trebly British indie rock tone, characterized by a biting distortion from a ProCo RAT into a pushed Orange amp, delivering a direct and punchy attack.

Signal Chain

Instrument: Fender Stratocaster (Mexican Standard, Arctic White)

Amp: Orange AD30HTC head + Orange PPC212 Cabinet

Microphone: Shure SM57 (potentially blended with a Royer R121)

Processing: ProCo RAT 2

Other: Bridge pickup selected. Guitar volume and tone knobs at maximum. Orange AD30 Channel 2. RAT pedal for main distortion. SM57 on one speaker cone, possibly blended with a Royer R121.

Recording Notes

  • Recorded at Chapel Studios, Lincolnshire, produced by Jim Abbiss and engineered by Ewan Davies.
  • Alex Turner's Orange AD30HTC head and PPC212 cabinet were primarily miked with a Shure SM57, with a Royer R121 also used, likely blended.
  • The band aimed for a live, energetic feel, tracking basic instruments together.
  • Minimal post-processing was applied to the guitars to maintain their raw, immediate sound.

Recreation Tips

  • Use a Fender Stratocaster, selecting the bridge pickup for a bright, cutting tone.
  • The ProCo RAT 2 is crucial: set Distortion around 2 o'clock, Filter around 1 o'clock (adjust for desired brightness), and Volume to level or slight boost.
  • Use an Orange AD30 amp (Channel 2, Gain around 9-11 o'clock, Treble and Mids slightly boosted) or a similar British-voiced amp (e.g., Vox, other Marshall models) set to a clean or edge-of-breakup tone.
  • The amp should provide a solid foundation, with the RAT pedal delivering the primary distortion character.
  • Employ aggressive, consistent downstrokes for the main riff to capture the rhythmic drive.
  • Keep the sound relatively dry; avoid using excessive reverb or delay to match the directness of the original recording.

Sources