Mississippi Queen

The recording

Recorded at Record Plant Studios in New York during the late 1969/early 1970 sessions for the album Climbing!, "Mississippi Queen" features a single rhythm guitar track laid down by Leslie West. He used a 1950s Gibson Les Paul Junior TV with the bridge pickup, playing in standard tuning. The guitar was run through a 50‑watt Marshall head into a Sunn 12‑inch cabinet, producing the thick, fuzz‑laden tone that defines the riff. West’s unconventional string setup—replacing the high‑E with a .010 banjo string and shifting the other strings down one position—added extra tension and brightness to the attack.

Tuning Standard (E A D G B E)·Strings La Bella Electric Guitar strings with a .010 banjo string on the high‑E; remaining strings moved down one slot

Reported gear

1950s Gibson Les Paul Junior TV

Guitar

West recorded the rhythm part on a 1950s Gibson Les Paul Junior TV, using its bridge pickup and a custom string set that swapped a .010 banjo string for the high‑E.

Marshall 50‑watt JTM45 head

Amp

The guitar was run through a 50‑watt Marshall head, which West cranked to full volume to achieve the raw, saturated tone heard on the track.

Sunn 12‑inch guitar cabinet

Cabinet

West routed the Marshall into a Sunn 12‑inch cabinet, contributing to the tight low‑end and pronounced mids of the riff.

Alternatives

Epiphone Les Paul Junior

Modern equivalent · for the 1950s Gibson Les Paul Junior TV

$450 to $600

Sunn 12‑inch cabinet (reissue)

Modern equivalent · for the Sunn 12‑inch guitar cabinet

$400 to $600

Marshall JTM45 reissue

Reissue · for the Marshall 50‑watt JTM45 head

$1,200 to $1,800

Practical playing approach

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

1. 1.Use a Gibson Les Paul Junior (or similar single‑coil P‑90) with the bridge pickup.
2. 2.String the guitar with a .010 banjo string on the high‑E and shift the other strings down one slot for looser tension.
3. 3.Crank a 50‑watt Marshall head to full volume and let it naturally overdrive.
4. 4.Route the amp into a 12‑inch Sunn cabinet (or a comparable high‑output speaker) for tight low‑end.
5. 5.Attack the riff near the bridge with a heavy pick attack to accentuate the fuzzy saturation.