lead guitar from “god save the queen” by sex pistols | ToneDB
god save the queen
sex pistols
lead guitar
Tone Profile
A raw, biting guitar tone with aggressive distortion and a slightly scooped midrange, capturing the rebellious energy of punk rock. It's gritty and in-your-face, with a chaotic yet defined sonic character.
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The Story
"God Save the Queen" was recorded at Wessex Sound Studios in London with producer Chris Thomas and engineer Bill Price. The lead guitar tone was reportedly achieved using a Gibson Les Paul through a Fender Twin Reverb amplifier, with a Pro Co RAT distortion pedal providing the aggressive bite and an MXR Phase 90 adding subtle modulation. The recording captured both the direct amplifier sound and room ambience, fitting the band's raw DIY aesthetic.
Production Credits
Producer: Chris Thomas
Engineer: Bill Price
Recorded at: Wessex Sound Studios, London
Signal Chain
Instrument: Gibson Les PaulShop on Reverb
Amp: Fender Twin ReverbShop on Reverb
Microphone: Neumann U87Shop on Reverb
Processing: Pro Co RATShop on Reverb, MXR Phase 90Shop on Reverb
Recreation Tips
- Start with a Les Paul style guitar into a clean Fender-style amp as a base.
- Use a RAT distortion pedal for the core aggressive tone, adjusting the gain for a balance between saturation and clarity.
- Add subtle phasing with an MXR Phase 90 to add movement to sustained notes and chords.
- Experiment with microphone placement to capture both the direct amp sound and the room ambience.
Original Gear
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Substitutions & Recommendations
Alternative to: Gibson Les Paul
Provides the humbucker pickups and mahogany body resonance needed for this aggressive punk tone at a budget-friendly price
Alternative to: Pro Co RAT
Current production version of the same distortion pedal that creates the signature biting, aggressive distortion on this track
Alternative to: MXR Phase 90
Still in production and identical to the original, providing the subtle swirling modulation heard on the recording
Alternative to: Fender Twin Reverb
Captures the clean Fender Twin platform tone that serves as the foundation before distortion is added
Alternative to: Complete signal chain
Includes accurate models of the Fender Twin, RAT distortion, and Phase 90, allowing recreation of the entire signal chain in software
Sources
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