Get this tone on your rig
Tuned to the exact gear you own
The recording
Recorded in 1989 for the album Still Got the Blues, “Walking by Myself” was produced by Gary Moore and Ian Taylor, with engineering by Taylor and assistants Haydn Bendall, Stuart Day, Markus Dravs and Steve Fitzmaurice (MusicBrainz). Moore’s lead guitar was captured close‑mic’d on his Marshall cabinet, placing his Les Paul‑Marshall stack front‑and‑center in the mix.
Signal chain
Reported gear
1963 Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar
Moore used his 1963 Gibson Les Paul Standard, set with the bridge pickup, to deliver the thick, singing blues tone heard throughout “Walking by Myself”.
Ibanez Tube Screamer TS-808
Overdrive Pedal
A Tube Screamer was placed in front of the amp to smooth the breakup and add a mid‑range hump that helped Moore’s solo cut through the mix.
Marshall JCM800 100W Head (circa 1989)
Amplifier
Moore cranked a Marshall JCM800 100‑watt head, dialed high gain, to produce the raw, saturated overdrive that defines the track’s lead tone.
Marshall 4×12 Cabinet (1960s reissue)
Cabinet
The JCM800 was paired with a classic 4×12 Marshall cabinet, delivering a tight low‑end and aggressive mids that sit prominently on the recording.
Alternatives
Epiphone Les Paul Standard
Modern equivalent · for the 1963 Gibson Les Paul Standard
Marshall DSL40CR
Modern equivalent · for the Marshall JCM800 100W Head (circa 1989)
Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer
Modern equivalent · for the Ibanez Tube Screamer TS-808
Marshall 1960A 4×12 Cabinet (reissue)
Reissue · for the Marshall 4×12 Cabinet (1960s reissue)
Practical playing approach
Recreation guidance, not a claim about undocumented studio control positions.
- 1.Use the bridge pickup on the Les Paul for a tighter, more aggressive tone.
- 2.Set the overdrive pedal’s level low and boost the amp’s gain for smooth, sustaining leads.
- 3.Bend the middle strings a full step and add wide vibrato for classic blues phrasing.
- 4.Thumb‑over mute the low E while soloing to tighten the rhythm and improve note definition.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What gear was used for the Walking by Myself guitar tone?
The available research points to 1963 Gibson Les Paul Standard into Marshall JCM800 100W Head (circa 1989). The full reported signal chain and evidence links are listed on this page.
Are the original Walking by Myself 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 Walking by Myself 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.
