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rhythm guitar from “god save the queen” by sex pistols | ToneDB

god save the queen

sex pistols

rhythm guitar

AI generatedv1.0

Tone Profile

A raw and aggressive guitar tone, characterized by a trebly, buzzing distortion, reflecting the band's rebellious energy.

Gear

Gibson Les Paulinstrument
ReverbSweetwater
Fender Twin Reverbamp
ReverbSweetwater
Sennheiser MD 421microphone
ReverbSweetwater
Pro Co RATprocessing
ReverbSweetwater

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The Story

Steve Jones' guitar tone on "God Save the Queen" was recorded at Wessex Sound Studios with producer Chris Thomas and engineer Bill Price. The aggressive, trebly sound was achieved using a Gibson Les Paul through a Pro Co RAT distortion pedal into a Fender Twin Reverb amplifier, close-mic'd with a Sennheiser MD421 microphone.

Production Credits

Producer: Chris Thomas

Engineer: Bill Price

Recorded at: Wessex Sound Studios, London

Signal Chain

Instrument: Gibson Les Paul

Amp: Fender Twin Reverb

Microphone: Sennheiser MD 421

Processing: Pro Co RAT

Recreation Tips

  • Start with a Gibson Les Paul and a Fender Twin Reverb amp as your base.
  • Use a Pro Co RAT distortion pedal to achieve the signature buzzsaw distortion.
  • Experiment with the RAT's distortion and filter knobs to find the sweet spot for that cutting tone.
  • Consider using a Sennheiser MD 421 microphone for recording, positioning it close to the speaker cone for a direct and punchy sound.

Original Gear

  • Gibson Les Paul(guitar)
  • Fender Twin Reverb(amp)
  • Pro Co RAT(pedal)
  • Sennheiser MD 421(mic)

Substitutions & Recommendations

Pro Co RAT 2$80-$90

Alternative to: Pro Co RAT distortion pedal

Current production version of the original RAT that provides the same buzzsaw distortion character essential to this tone

ReverbSweetwater
Fender '68 Custom Twin Reverb$1,200-$1,400

Alternative to: Fender Twin Reverb amplifier

Modern reissue that delivers the clean headroom and pristine platform needed to showcase the RAT's aggressive distortion

ReverbSweetwater
Epiphone Les Paul Standard 50s$500-$600

Alternative to: Gibson Les Paul guitar

Budget-friendly Les Paul with humbucker pickups that provides the thick foundation tone at a fraction of the Gibson price

ReverbSweetwater
Neural DSP Archetype Nolly$120-$140

Alternative to: Complete signal chain

Includes high-quality RAT-style distortion models and Twin Reverb amp simulation for achieving this tone in the box

ReverbSweetwater
Shure SM57$100-$120

Alternative to: Sennheiser MD421 microphone

Industry standard dynamic mic that captures aggressive guitar tones with similar punch and clarity as the MD421

ReverbSweetwater

Sources

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