Tone library / Wishbone Ash / Throw Down the Sword

Throw Down the Sword amp settings — Zoom G1 Four

The Wishbone Ash guitar tone for “Throw Down the Sword”, dialed in for a Zoom G1 Four with a Fender Jazzmaster. Studio version, Argus (1972)

Original rig

Gibson Flying V into Marshall 1959 Plexi Super Lead (cranked for natural breakup), no pedals — pure amp overdrive with studio compression from engineer Martin Birch

Warm, singing midrange with classic British crunch — smooth sustain, vocal-like lead tone with harmonic richness from power tube saturation
Amp settings — Zoom G1 Four
CHANNELMS1959 (Plexi model) or UK 30A (Vox-style for more chime) — MS1959 preferredBOOSToff
GAIN 6 BASS 4 MID 7 TREBLE 6 PRESENCE 5 REVERB 2
KnobSetting (0–10)
Gain6
Bass4
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Reverb2
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Guitar
PICKUPbridge TONE7 VOLUME9
Signal chain

01ZNR (Noise Reduction) — Zoom G1 Four built-in

Light setting to tame single-coil hiss without killing sustain

Threshold 3

02Comp (Compressor) — Zoom G1 Four built-in

Adds the studio compression and sustain that made the original recording sing — place before amp model

Sense 5 · Tone 6 · Level 7 · Attack 4
Why these settings

Original was a hot-output Flying V humbucker into a cranked Plexi — your Jazzmaster's single coils are brighter and lower output. Compensated by raising mid +1 (7 vs original 6-7), dropping treble -1 to tame Jazzmaster ice-pick, and rolling tone knob to 7 to warm the bridge pickup. Gain bumped slightly because the G1 Four's Plexi model doesn't saturate as early as the real amp at stage volume. The compressor block replaces what the cranked power section and Martin Birch's desk compression provided on the original.

PRO TIPRoll your guitar volume to 8-9 for rhythm parts to clean up the attack slightly, then push to 10 for lead lines — this is how Powell and Turner got dynamic expression from a single amp tone without pedals. Pick closer to the neck for that singing vocal-like lead sustain.

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These settings are for a Zoom G1 Four. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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