rhythm guitar from “dirty diana” by michael jackson | ToneDB
dirty diana
michael jackson
rhythm guitar
AI generatedv1.0
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.
Gear
- Fender Stratocasterinstrument
- ReverbSweetwater
- Mesa/Boogie Mark Seriesamp
- Reverb$105Sweetwater
- Shure SM57microphone
- ReverbSweetwater
- MXR Distortion+processing
- ReverbSweetwater
- Boss CE-1processing
- Reverb$747Sweetwater
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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 Stratocaster
Amp: Mesa/Boogie Mark Series
Microphone: Shure SM57
Processing: MXR Distortion+, Boss CE-1
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
- Fender Stratocaster(guitar)
- Mesa/Boogie Mark Series(amp)
- Shure SM57(mic)
- MXR Distortion+(pedal)
- Boss CE-1(pedal)
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
ReverbSweetwaterAlternative to: Mesa/Boogie Mark Series
Modern Mark series amp with the same high-gain cascade circuit design for that thick, saturated overdrive sound
ReverbSweetwaterAlternative to: MXR Distortion+
Current production version of the exact same circuit used on the original recording
ReverbSweetwaterAlternative to: Boss CE-1 Chorus
Premium Boss chorus with CE-1 mode that replicates the vintage bucket brigade warmth and sweep
ReverbSweetwaterAlternative to: Mesa/Boogie Mark Series
Includes high-quality Mesa/Boogie style amp models with the cascading gain structure needed for this aggressive rock tone
ReverbSweetwaterFrequently Asked Questions
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