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rhythm guitar from “golden years” by david bowie | ToneDB

golden years

david bowie

rhythm guitar

AI generatedv1.0

Tone Profile

A clean but slightly gritty rhythm guitar tone that blends funk and rock elements, providing a solid rhythmic foundation with subtle harmonic complexity.

Gear

Fender Stratocasterinstrument
ReverbSweetwater
Fender Twin Reverbamp
ReverbSweetwater
Neumann U87microphone
ReverbSweetwater

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The Story

"Golden Years" was recorded at Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles with producer Tony Visconti and engineer Harry Maslin. The rhythm guitar tone features a Fender Stratocaster played through a Fender Twin Reverb amplifier, recorded with a Neumann U87 microphone. The setup was configured for a predominantly clean sound with just enough edge to cut through the dense funk-rock arrangement.

Production Credits

Producer: Tony Visconti

Engineer: Harry Maslin

Recorded at: Cherokee Studios, Los Angeles

Signal Chain

Instrument: Fender Stratocaster

Amp: Fender Twin Reverb

Microphone: Neumann U87

Recreation Tips

  • Start with a clean amp setting on a Fender-style amplifier.
  • Use the bridge pickup on a Stratocaster for a brighter tone.
  • Add a subtle overdrive pedal if needed to replicate the slight grit.
  • Experiment with chorus or flanger to add width.

Original Gear

  • Fender Stratocaster(guitar)
  • Fender Twin Reverb(amp)
  • Neumann U87(mic)

Substitutions & Recommendations

Fender Player Stratocaster$800-900

Alternative to: Fender Stratocaster

Modern Fender offering the classic single-coil bridge pickup brightness essential for this clean funk tone

ReverbSweetwater
Fender '68 Custom Twin Reverb$1200-1400

Alternative to: Fender Twin Reverb

Current reissue of the classic Twin Reverb with the pristine clean headroom needed for this slightly gritty funk rhythm tone

ReverbSweetwater
Boss Blues Breaker BB-1X$150-180

Alternative to: Fender Twin Reverb

Adds the subtle overdrive edge to any clean amp, replicating the slight grit in the original tone

ReverbSweetwater
Universal Audio UAD Ampex ATR-102$300-400

Alternative to: Neumann U87 recording chain

Tape saturation plugin that recreates the analog recording character of the Cherokee Studios session

ReverbSweetwater
Squier Classic Vibe '70s Stratocaster$400-450

Alternative to: Fender Stratocaster

Budget option delivering authentic Strat single-coil character for the bright, cutting funk rhythm tone

ReverbSweetwater

Sources

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