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The recording
Recorded during the 1990 Crazy World sessions, “Wind of Change” was produced by Keith Olsen and engineered by Erwin Musper and Olsen, with assistant engineers Shay Baby, Attie Bauw, Albert Boekholt and Tom Fletcher. The clean electric guitar parts, performed by lead guitarist Matthias Jabs, sit subtly beneath the orchestral strings and vocal line, delivering a bright, bell‑like tone that contrasts with the track’s acoustic rhythm guitars. The mix highlights the guitar’s sustain and reverb‑laden ambience, giving the solo a soaring quality.
Tuning Standard (E A D G B E)
Signal chain
Original gear
1970s Fender Stratocaster
Guitar
Lead guitarist Matthias Jabs used a Fender Stratocaster, likely a 1970s model, to produce the clean, bell‑like tones heard on the track.
Vox AC30 (30‑Watt Combo)
Amp
The guitar was run through a Vox AC30, a classic 30‑watt tube amp prized for its chime and smooth breakup, capturing the song’s shimmering clean tone.
Alternatives
Practical playing approach
Recreation guidance, not a claim about undocumented studio control positions.
- 1.Select the neck pickup and roll the tone knob back to keep the clean tone warm.
- 2.Arpeggiate the chords with a light attack, allowing each note to ring fully.
- 3.Add subtle vibrato on sustained lead notes to match the vocal phrasing.
- 4.Use the guitar’s volume knob to control the attack of the lead lines.
- 5.Bend a full step on the solo’s key notes, keeping the bend smooth and in‑time.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What gear was used for the Wind of Change guitar tone?
The available research points to 1970s Fender Stratocaster into Vox AC30 (30‑Watt Combo). The full reported signal chain and evidence links are listed on this page.
Are the original Wind of Change 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 Wind of Change in?
The current research record lists Standard (E A D G B E). ToneTwin keeps corrections open when reliable accounts disagree.
How do I recreate the Wind of Change 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.
