Tone library / Joe walsh / Rocky Mountain Way

Rocky Mountain Way amp settings — First Act MA155

The Joe walsh guitar tone for “Rocky Mountain Way”, dialed in for a First Act MA155 with a Fender Jazzmaster. Studio version, The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get (1973)

Original rig

Gibson Les Paul Standard/Deluxe humbuckers into a cranked 1950s Tweed Fender Champ (slide) / Fender Super Reverb and Bill West custom talk box

Fat, greasy Tweed overdrive with strong vocal midrange bark and smooth top end
Amp settings — First Act MA155
BRIGHToffBOOSToff
GAIN 2 BASS 5 TREBLE 4 MASTER 5
KnobSetting (0–10)
Gain2
Bass5
Treble4
Master5
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Guitar
PICKUPbridge TONE7 VOLUME10
Signal chain

01NUX MG-300 MK-2 (Tweed Deluxe / 59 Bassman Amp Model)

Set as active amp model block with matching Tweed/Alnico 1x12 or 4x10 IR; serves as the tone engine

Gain 7 · Master 8 · Bass 5 · Middle 8 · Treble 5

02NUX MG-300 MK-2 (RC Boost / Overdrive Block)

Mild transparent push in front of the amp model to tighten slide dynamics

Gain 3 · Tone 5 · Level 8

03NUX MG-300 MK-2 (Auto Wah / Touch Wah Block)

Engage for the talk-box sections if you lack a physical talk box

Sens 6 · Tone 5 · Decay 5

04Heil Talk Box

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned; the iconic solo voice

Why these settings

The First Act MA155 is a basic solid-state practice amp with minimal headroom and no mid control, so run it totally clean and let the NUX MG-300 MK-2 handle all tweed amp modeling and preamp distortion. Single-coil Jazzmaster pickups are inherently brighter and thinner than Joe's humbuckers, so roll the guitar tone knob back to 7 and boost mids heavily on the NUX modeler to capture the thick, greasy slide bark. Talk-box solo: engage the Touch Wah block on the NUX as an owned emulation.

PRO TIPUse an open E tuning (E-B-E-G#-B-E) with a heavy glass or brass slide on your pinky, resting your right-hand palm and trailing fingers behind the slide to damp unwanted string buzz.

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These settings are for a First Act MA155. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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