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lead guitar from “more than a feeling” by boston | ToneDB

more than a feeling

boston

lead guitar

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Tone Profile

A soaring, highly sustained, and harmonically rich lead tone with a smooth, violin-like quality. It's meticulously crafted for clarity, power, and a distinctive singing character, often featuring harmonized lines.

Signal Chain

Instrument: 1968 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop (modified with DiMarzio Super Distortion humbuckers, neck pickup often used for leads)

Amp: Modified Marshall 100W Super Lead Plexi (Model 1959)

Microphone: Shure SM57 or Sennheiser MD 421 (close-miked)

Processing: Echoplex EP-3 Tape Delay, Scholz Custom Built Graphic EQ (pre and/or post amp), Scholz Custom Built Sustainer/Compressor (prototype of Rockman Sustainer)

Other: Scholz Power Soak (prototype attenuator) used between amp head and speaker cabinet. Extensive double-tracking (and sometimes triple-tracking) of lead guitar lines, often with harmonized parts. Meticulous EQ sculpting during mixing.

Recording Notes

  • Tom Scholz was an MIT-trained engineer who designed and built much of his own gear, including early versions of the Power Soak attenuator, EQs, and the sustainer/compressor units.
  • The iconic lead sound was achieved by driving the Marshall amp hard with the Power Soak, allowing for power tube saturation at controllable studio volumes.
  • Scholz famously aimed for a 'no pedals' approach, meaning he integrated effects into custom-built rack-style units rather than using off-the-shelf stompboxes.
  • Lead lines were often meticulously double-tracked or harmonized (e.g., in thirds) and panned to create a wide, rich stereo image.
  • The sustain was a key element, achieved through a combination of his custom sustainer unit, amp settings, and playing technique.
  • The recording process was highly experimental and involved layering many guitar tracks to achieve the massive 'wall of sound'.

Recreation Tips

  • Use a Les Paul-style guitar, preferably with high-output humbuckers like DiMarzio Super Distortions. The neck pickup is often favored for smoother lead tones.
  • A Marshall Plexi-style amplifier is crucial. Use an attenuator to crank the amp for power tube saturation without excessive volume.
  • Employ a high-quality compressor/sustainer pedal to achieve the long, singing sustain characteristic of the solo.
  • Use an analog delay or a tape echo emulation (like an Echoplex plugin/pedal) for subtle ambience and repeats. Set it for a single repeat or very light wash.
  • Sculpt the tone with a graphic EQ pedal. Boost upper-mid frequencies (around 1kHz - 2.5kHz) and high frequencies (around 5kHz - 8kHz) for bite and clarity, and potentially cut some low-mids to avoid muddiness.
  • Double-track your lead lines as accurately as possible and pan them slightly (e.g., 10-2 L/R) to create width. Experiment with harmonizing parts.
  • Consider rolling off the guitar's tone knob slightly to smooth out the attack and enhance the violin-like quality.

Sources