rhythm guitar from “dirty diana” by michael jackson | ToneDB
dirty diana
michael jackson
rhythm guitar
Tone Profile
The rhythm guitar tone is a heavily distorted and compressed hard rock sound. It provides a solid and aggressive foundation for the song.
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The Story
The rhythm guitar tone on "Dirty Diana" was recorded at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles with producer Quincy Jones and engineer Bruce Swedien. The setup used a Fender Stratocaster through a Mesa/Boogie Mark Series amplifier, with an MXR Distortion+ pedal for additional saturation and a Boss CE-1 chorus for width. The signal was captured with a Shure SM57 microphone positioned close to the amplifier.
Production Credits
Producer: Quincy Jones
Engineer: Bruce Swedien
Recorded at: Westlake Recording Studios, Los Angeles
Signal Chain
Instrument: Fender StratocasterShop on Reverb
Amp: Mesa/Boogie Mark SeriesShop on Reverb
Microphone: Shure SM57Shop on Reverb
Processing: MXR Distortion+Shop on Reverb, Boss CE-1Shop on Reverb
Recreation Tips
- Start with a Stratocaster-style guitar and a high-gain amp like a Mesa/Boogie.
- Use a distortion pedal such as an MXR Distortion+ to push the amp into further saturation.
- Add a chorus effect (Boss CE-1 or similar) to add width and dimension.
- Experiment with different microphone placements on the amp to find the sweet spot.
- Double-track the guitar part for a fuller sound, panning each track slightly to the left and right.
Original Gear
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Substitutions & Recommendations
Alternative to: Fender Stratocaster
Provides the single-coil pickup tone and bridge pickup bite that cuts through heavy distortion like the original Stratocaster
Alternative to: Mesa/Boogie Mark Series
Modern Mark series amp with the same high-gain cascade circuit design for that thick, saturated overdrive sound
Alternative to: MXR Distortion+
Current production version of the exact same circuit used on the original recording
Alternative to: Boss CE-1 Chorus
Premium Boss chorus with CE-1 mode that replicates the vintage bucket brigade warmth and sweep
Alternative to: Mesa/Boogie Mark Series
Includes high-quality Mesa/Boogie style amp models with the cascading gain structure needed for this aggressive rock tone
Frequently Asked Questions
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