God Save the Queen

The recording

Recorded at Wessex Sound Studios in London during sessions in October 1976 and March 1977 with producer Chris Thomas and engineer Bill Price, ‘God Save the Queen’ features a dry, mono‑centered guitar that sits front‑and‑center in the mix. Steve Jones tracked the rhythm part on a Gibson Les Paul Standard using the bridge pickup, employing tight, fast down‑strokes that drive the Marshall JTM45 into natural overdrive. The amp was miked via a Marshall 4×12 cabinet, yielding a punchy mid‑range and a tight low‑end. No reverb or studio effects were applied to the guitar, contributing to its raw, unprocessed sound.

Tuning Standard E (E A D G B E)

Reported gear

1975 Gibson Les Paul Standard

Guitar

Steve Jones recorded his rhythm parts on a 1975 Gibson Les Paul Standard, driving the raw, dry tone of ‘God Save the Queen’.

Marshall JTM45 (1960s/1970s)

Amp

The guitar signal was fed into a vintage Marshall JTM45 tube amp, providing natural overdrive and the tight low‑end that defines the track's aggressive tone.

Marshall 1960 4×12 Cabinet

Cabinet

The amp was paired with a 4×12 Marshall cabinet, whose mid‑range punch and tight bass helped the guitars sit front‑and‑center in the mono mix.

Alternatives

Epiphone Les Paul Standard

Modern equivalent · for the 1975 Gibson Les Paul Standard

$500 to $700

Marshall 1960 4×12 Cabinet (reissue)

Modern equivalent · for the Marshall 1960 4×12 Cabinet

$800 to $1,200

Marshall DSL40C (Reissue)

Reissue · for the Marshall JTM45 (1960s/1970s)

$900 to $1,200

Practical playing approach

Recreation guidance, not a claim about undocumented studio control positions.

1. 1.Play the main riff with aggressive down‑strokes on the bridge pickup
2. 2.Use a heavy pick (e.g., .88) to tighten the attack
3. 3.Keep the amp's gain low and let tube saturation provide the grit
4. 4.Maintain a tight, consistent eighth‑note rhythm without letting notes ring
5. 5.Leave the guitar volume high to drive the amp into natural distortion