Get this tone on your gear
Choose your guitar and amp to get exact knob settings.
Quick tone direction
Use a neck humbucker into a clean JTM-style amp, then create the lead drive with a mid-rich overdrive or distortion. Keep the bass firm and the treble smooth.
- Gain
- Sustaining pedal drive into a clean amplifier base
- EQ
- Firm bass, strong singing mids and smooth treble
- Pickup
- Neck humbucker for the main lead voice
- Effects
- Light ambience behind the note; do not soften the attack
The clean rhythm texture and the lead use different effect roles. The lead target is the Les Paul, clean JTM45 base and Guv'nor-style drive.
The recording
Gary Moore's Still Got the Blues marked a major pivot from his decades in hard rock back to the blues music of his youth, culminating in his 1990 best-selling album. The title track's iconic lead solo was famously captured in a single, dramatic first-take session at Sarm West Studios after he brought his 1959 Les Paul Standard in just to test the room. Backed by clean rhythm parts featuring a chorus-effect tone, the searing lead guitar delivers a signature singing sustain that defined his renewed career trajectory.
Tuning Standard
Signal chain
Original gear
1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar · Gary Moore · Riff & solo
This guitar served as the primary instrument for both the clean rhythm parts and the high-gain lead solo, utilizing the neck pickup for the lead lines and switching to the bridge pickup for some rhythm passages.
1989 prototype Marshall Model 2245 JTM45 reissue head
Amp · Gary Moore · Riff & solo
The amplifier was set to a clean, moderate-headroom tone and served as the base for both the rhythm and solo parts.
Marshall 1960B 4x12 cabinet with Electro-Voice EVM12L speakers
Cabinet · Gary Moore · Riff & solo
This speaker cabinet was used for both rhythm and solo recording sessions.
Marshall The Guv'nor distortion pedal
Overdrive · Gary Moore · Solo
This pedal was used to provide the high-gain saturation and sustain for the lead solo and melodic lines.
Roland SDD-320 Dimension D
Multi FX · Gary Moore · Riff
This unit is identified as the likely source for the subtle chorus effect heard on the clean rhythm parts.
Alternatives
Practical playing approach
Recreation guidance, not a claim about undocumented studio control positions.
- 1.Use the neck pickup for the signature singing lead tone.
- 2.Use the bridge pickup for more aggressive rhythm parts.
- 3.The amplifier should be set clean, with the distortion provided by the pedal.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What gear was used for the Still Got the Blues guitar tone?
The available research points to 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard into 1989 prototype Marshall Model 2245 JTM45 reissue head. The full reported signal chain and evidence links are listed on this page.
Are the original Still Got the Blues 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.
What tuning is Still Got the Blues in?
The current research record lists Standard. ToneTwin keeps corrections open when reliable accounts disagree.
How do I recreate the Still Got the Blues 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.
