Tone library / Deep Purple / Maybe I'm a Leo

Maybe I'm a Leo amp settings — NUX MG-30

The Deep Purple guitar tone for “Maybe I'm a Leo”, dialed in for a NUX MG-30 with a Epiphone ES 339. Studio version, Machine Head (1972), recorded December 1971 in Montreux

Original rig

Ritchie Blackmore: 1968 Fender Stratocaster (scalloped neck, later models) into Hornby-Skewes Treble Booster into Marshall Major 200W heads with 4x12 cabs, occasionally Gibson ES-335 on earlier tracks

Crunchy, aggressive mid-forward blues-rock grind with singing sustain and sharp pick attack

Amp settings — NUX MG-30

CHANNELPlexi or JCM800 amp modelBRIGHToffBOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	6
Bass	4
Mid	7
Treble	6
Presence	5
Reverb	0

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE7 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Treble Booster (use NUX MG-30 'Treble Boost' or 'Range Master' block)

Place before amp block in signal chain — this is critical to Blackmore's sound, it pushes the amp into saturation and adds upper-mid bite

Level 7 · Tone 6

Why these settings

Your ES-339 humbuckers are warmer and higher output than Blackmore's single-coil Strat, so gain is dropped from ~7-8 to 6 and mid is pushed to 7 to restore the aggressive bark. The treble booster block is essential — Blackmore's sound depends on that pre-amp push into a cooking Marshall. Bass kept moderate at 4 to prevent muddiness from the semi-hollow body.

PRO TIPBlackmore picked aggressively near the bridge with a hard attack and used his volume knob constantly for dynamics — roll back to 6-7 for the cleaner shuffle verses, then full up for the heavier sections to mimic his dynamic control without touching the amp.

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Song, artist and gear names are used to identify the tone being matched; ToneAdapt is not affiliated with or endorsed by the artists or manufacturers mentioned. Settings are AI-generated starting points — trust your ears.