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rhythm guitar from “smoke on the water” by deep purple | ToneDB

smoke on the water

deep purple

rhythm guitar

85% ai confidence

Tone Profile

A raw, powerful, and slightly overdriven guitar sound with a clear emphasis on the midrange frequencies, providing a punchy and iconic rock tone. It's the sound of rock history.

The Story

Ritchie Blackmore's iconic rhythm guitar sound on "Smoke on the Water" was recorded using a Gibson ES-335 semi-hollow body guitar plugged into a Hiwatt DR103 amplifier. The recording took place at the Grand Hotel in Montreux, Switzerland, using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio after the band's original venue burned down. The powerful, clear tone comes from the Hiwatt's high headroom being pushed into slight natural overdrive, with the ES-335's semi-hollow construction adding warmth and sustain.

Production Credits

Producer: Deep Purple

Engineer: Jeremy 'Bear' Hopkins

Recorded at: Grand Hotel, Montreux, Switzerland (using Rolling Stones Mobile Studio)

Signal Chain

Instrument: Gibson ES-335

Amp: Hiwatt DR103

Microphone: Neumann U67

Recreation Tips

  • Start with a Gibson ES-335 style guitar for a similar semi-hollow body tone.
  • Use a Hiwatt DR103 or similar clean, high-headroom amplifier.
  • Set the amp to a clean tone and gradually increase the gain until you achieve a light overdrive. Focus on a powerful midrange.
  • Use a microphone like a Neumann U67 or a similar condenser microphone to capture the amp's tone.
  • Experiment with microphone placement to find the sweet spot that captures the amp's full sound.
  • Consider using a light overdrive pedal if you cannot achieve the desired tone with the amp alone.

Original Gear

Substitutions & Recommendations

Epiphone ES-335$500-$700

Alternative to: Gibson ES-335

Provides the same semi-hollow body construction and humbucker tone at a fraction of the cost of a Gibson original

Hiwatt Custom 100 DR103$2500-$3000

Alternative to: Hiwatt DR103

Modern reissue of the exact amplifier used on the recording, offering the same clean power and natural tube overdrive

Orange OR100H$800-$1000

Alternative to: Hiwatt DR103

British-voiced 100-watt head with similar clean headroom and midrange character to vintage Hiwatts

Neural DSP Archetype Plini$120-$150

Alternative to: Hiwatt DR103

Includes high-quality Hiwatt-style clean amp models that can be pushed into the same type of natural overdrive

Warm Audio WA-67$800-$900

Alternative to: Neumann U67

Faithful recreation of the U67's tube warmth and frequency response for capturing amp cabinets

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

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