Tone Profile

A powerful and articulate crunch tone, defined by a Stratocaster driving a cranked Marshall head with a treble booster. It's thick and raw, with a distinct percussive attack and natural room ambience.

Signal Chain

Recording Notes

• Recorded in the corridors of the Grand Hôtel de Territet in Montreux, Switzerland, using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio.
• The amp was turned up to maximum volume to achieve power amp saturation, a key component of the tone.
• The main riff is played by plucking two strings at a time (diatonic fourths) with the fingers, not a pick, resulting in a softer, rounder attack.
• The unique acoustics of the hotel corridor provided a distinct natural reverb and ambience.

Recreation Tips

• Use a Stratocaster with the pickup selector in position 4 (neck and middle pickups).
• To play the riff authentically, use your thumb and index finger to pluck the G and D strings together.
• A Marshall-style amp (like a Plexi) is essential. Set the gain moderately and turn up the master volume as much as possible.
• Place a treble booster pedal at the beginning of your chain to tighten the low-end and push the amp's input.
• Avoid excessive distortion; the sound is more of a loud, pushed clean/crunch than a modern high-gain tone.
• Add a subtle room or hall reverb to simulate the recording environment.

Recommended Gear

• Fender Player Series Stratocaster(guitar)
• Marshall SV20H Studio Vintage(amp)
• BSM HS-C Custom Treble Booster(pedal)
• Catalinbread Naga Viper(pedal)
• Shure SM57(mic)