chinese democracy amp settings — Marshall JCM900
The Gun's and roses guitar tone for “chinese democracy”, dialed in for a Marshall JCM900 with a Ibanez GIO GRG170DX. Studio version, Chinese Democracy album (2008)
Robin Finck: Mesa Dual Rectifier, PRS Custom 24; Buckethead: Diezel VH4, Gibson Les Paul with Seymour Duncan pickups; Bumblefoot: Vigier guitars, Engl amps; layered through Marshall JCM800/900 for some rhythm tracks
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 8 |
| Bass | 5 |
| Mid | 4 |
| Treble | 7 |
| Presence | 6 |
| Reverb | 0 |
| Master | 5 |
01Noise Gate (RECOMMENDED — not owned)
RECOMMENDED — essential for tight palm mutes and eliminating noise at high gain; Boss NS-2 or ISP Decimator are standard choices
02Tube Screamer style OD (RECOMMENDED — not owned)
RECOMMENDED — used as a clean boost to tighten low end and add pick attack definition; TS9 or Boss SD-1 work well
Your JCM900 is well-suited here since the original used Marshalls among the amp arsenal. The 900's lead channel has the modern gain structure this track needs. Mids are scooped slightly (4) compared to typical Marshall settings because the original Rectifier tones on this album are mid-scooped. Your Ibanez humbuckers approximate the high-output pickups used; no compensation needed.
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