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The recording
Marr layered three guitars – a 1984 Gibson Les Paul Standard for the iconic tremolo intro, an Epiphone Casino for the jangly rhythm, and a 1955 Fender Telecaster for the slide lead – all routed through a Roland Jazz Chorus combo and captured via a direct‑in. The amp’s built‑in stereo tremolo provides the song’s signature pulsing wash, and no external pedals were used.
Signal chain
Reported gear
1984 Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar
Marr used his 1984 Gibson Les Paul Standard for the iconic tremolo riff that opens the song. Producer John Porter ran the guitars through a Roland Jazz Chorus, prized for its crystal‑clear clean channel and built‑in stereo tremolo.
Epiphone Casino
Guitar
The rhythm chords were performed on an Epiphone Casino, providing the jangly texture that underpins the verses.
1955 Fender Telecaster
Guitar
A 1955 Fender Telecaster owned by producer John Porter supplied the slide part heard in the bridge section.
Roland Jazz Chorus (JC‑120) Combo
Amp
John Porter ran the guitars through a Roland Jazz Chorus combo, prized for its crystal‑clear clean channel and built‑in stereo tremolo that creates the track’s iconic pulsing wash.
Alternatives
Epiphone Les Paul Standard
Modern equivalent · for the 1984 Gibson Les Paul Standard
Fender '50s Telecaster Reissue
Reissue · for the 1955 Fender Telecaster
Epiphone Casino
Still made · for the Epiphone Casino
Roland Jazz Chorus (JC‑120)
Still made · for the Roland Jazz Chorus (JC‑120) Combo
Practical playing approach
Recreation guidance, not a claim about undocumented studio control positions.
- 1.Use a bottleneck slide on the high strings to play the intro tremolo riff.
- 2.Select the bridge pickup on the Les Paul for maximum bite.
- 3.Set the amp’s built‑in tremolo to a slow speed with deep depth for the pulsing wash.
- 4.Play the rhythm chords clean on an Epiphone Casino using the neck pickup.
- 5.Capture the guitars through a direct‑in to retain clarity and allow post‑recording processing.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What gear was used for the How Soon Is Now? guitar tone?
The available research points to 1984 Gibson Les Paul Standard into Roland Jazz Chorus (JC‑120) Combo. The full reported signal chain and evidence links are listed on this page.
Are the original How Soon Is Now? amp settings documented?
Exact historical knob positions are not reliably documented for most recordings. ToneTwin does not publish generated values as studio fact; it creates playable settings only for the amp and pedals a player selects.
How do I recreate the How Soon Is Now? tone on my own gear?
Use the reported pickup, gain character, effects and signal-chain order as the target, then translate that target to your equipment. The matcher models controls for your selected rig rather than copying undocumented studio numbers.
Researched and reviewed by the ToneTwin Research Team.
