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lead guitar from “18 and life” by skidrow | ToneDB

18 and life

skidrow

lead guitar

AI generatedv1.0

Tone Profile

Aggressive and harmonically rich hard rock lead tone. Characterized by a bright, articulate attack with a tight low-end and searing sustain.

Gear

Gibson Les Paulinstrument
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Marshall JCM800amp
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Shure SM57microphone
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Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamerprocessing
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The Story

Dave 'Snake' Sabo's lead guitar tone on "18 and Life" was built around a Gibson Les Paul through a Marshall JCM800 amp, boosted with an Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer. The album was recorded at A&M Studios in Hollywood and produced by Michael Wagener, who was known for his punchy, close-miked guitar sounds. The leads were double-tracked and recorded with minimal room ambience to achieve that tight, focused attack.

Production Credits

Producer: Michael Wagener

Engineer: Michael Wagener

Recorded at: A&M Studios, Los Angeles

Signal Chain

Instrument: Gibson Les Paul

Amp: Marshall JCM800

Microphone: Shure SM57

Processing: Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer

Recreation Tips

  • Start with a Les Paul style guitar with humbucker pickups.
  • Use a Marshall JCM800 amp as a base, with the gain set to a moderate level.
  • Add an Ibanez Tube Screamer with the drive set low to mid, and the level set to boost the signal.
  • Position a Shure SM57 close to the speaker cone, slightly off-axis.
  • Double-track the guitar part, panning each track slightly to create a wider stereo image.
  • Use a compressor to even out the dynamics and enhance sustain.

Original Gear

  • Gibson Les Paul(guitar)
  • Marshall JCM800(amp)
  • Shure SM57(mic)
  • Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer(pedal)

Substitutions & Recommendations

Boss OD-3 OverDrive$50-$70

Alternative to: Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer

Budget-friendly overdrive that provides similar mid-focused boost and compression as the TS808 for tightening up Marshall amp distortion

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Marshall Studio Classic SC20H$600-$700

Alternative to: Marshall JCM800

20-watt version of the JCM800 circuit that delivers the same aggressive midrange bite and crunch at manageable volumes

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Epiphone Les Paul Standard 50s$500-$600

Alternative to: Gibson Les Paul

Features similar humbucker pickups and mahogany body construction as vintage Les Pauls, providing the thick, sustaining tone needed for this style

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Neural DSP Fortin Nameless Suite$120-$150

Alternative to: Marshall JCM800

Digital amp plugin that accurately models high-gain Marshall tones with built-in overdrive modeling for the complete Skid Row guitar sound

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Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer$100-$130

Alternative to: Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer

Current production Tube Screamer with nearly identical circuitry to the vintage TS808, providing the same midrange focus and amp-pushing characteristics

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Sources

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