How to Sound Like Gary Moore — Gear, Settings, and Technique
Gary Moore is one of the most technically brilliant and emotionally direct guitarists in rock and blues history. His tone — thick, singing, sustaining into infinity — is instantly recognisable. The vibrato alone identifies him in three notes. Recreating it requires specific gear, but the gear will only get you 60% of the way there. The rest is in his right hand.
This guide covers his gear from the Thin Lizzy period through the final blues albums, identifies what matters most, and is honest about what cannot be purchased.
The Guitar: Peter Green's 1959 Les Paul
Gary Moore's most famous guitar is the 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard that originally belonged to Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac. Green sold it to Moore in 1970 for approximately £100. It is one of the most storied guitars in rock history.
The guitar is notable for having a mis-wired pickup that causes the neck and bridge pickups — when combined — to produce a sound out of phase. This is the famously hollow, thin, nasal tone heard on Fleetwood Mac's "The Green Manalishi." Moore used this guitar on many recordings but also used standard Les Pauls throughout his career.
What to buy for the Gibson Les Paul tone:
The 1959 Standard has PAF-style humbuckers with relatively low output, mahogany body and neck, rosewood fingerboard, and a carved maple top. This is still the template Gibson builds from.
- Budget (£400–£700): Epiphone Les Paul Standard 50s — surprisingly good PAF pickups, proper weight and resonance, the most convincing cheap Les Paul
- Mid (£700–£1,500): Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s (made in Nashville) — proper US construction, coil-tap humbuckers, noticeably better than the Epiphone at twice the price but with a significantly different feel
- Pro (£2,000+): Gibson Custom Shop 1959 Les Paul Standard Reissue — hand-wired, Burstbucker Pros, the closest you will get to the original without spending collector prices
String gauge: Moore used .011–.052 or heavier. Heavy strings increase sustain and contribute to the thick midrange. Do not go lighter than .010s if you want this tone.
The Amplifiers
Moore used several amplifiers across different eras, and this matters — the tone on Parisienne Walkways (1979) is different from Still Got The Blues (1990) which is different from the late blues albums.
Early period: Marshall (1970s–early 1980s)
During the Thin Lizzy years and his early solo career, Moore played Marshall 100-watt heads — JMP and early JCM800 models. These are the amplifiers behind the urgent, high-gain tone of "Back On The Streets" and the live Thin Lizzy recordings.
Marshall JCM800 2203: The closest current production equivalent. Run the preamp volume very high, master volume to taste (loud is better), presence at around 6. This is the classic British rock sound — compressed, harmonically complex, aggressive in the upper midrange.
Later period: Soldano SLO-100 and custom amps
By the late 1980s and through the 1990s, Moore was associated with the Soldano SLO-100, one of the most influential high-gain amplifiers ever built. The SLO gave him more sustain and a smoother overdrive character than the Marshall, which contributed to the singing lead tone on Still Got The Blues.
He also used modified Marshall heads built by Tony Plexi and, later, custom amplifiers by Bogner. The common thread is high-gain, American-voiced clean-to-crunch with excellent sustain.
Budget options:
- Blackstar HT Club 40 Mark II — British-voiced EL34 amplifier with genuine class A/B power section, excellent for the Marshall-style tones. Around £500–£600
- Marshall DSL40CR — More accessible than the full SLO, captures the JCM800 territory well. Around £500
- Mid-range: Marshall JCM800 2203 (reissue) — around £1,200. This is what Moore actually used in the early years
- Pro: Soldano SLO-100 — around £3,000 new. The definitive late-Moore amp. Worth hunting for used
The Overdrive Pedals
Moore's sound almost always had an overdrive pedal pushing the amp. He was an early adopter of the Boss OD-1 and later moved through various Klon-style pedals and transparent overdrives.
The approach: The amp is already breaking up. The pedal adds compression, sustain, and a slight midrange push — not the dirt itself.
Key pedals in his rig:
Boss OD-1 / Boss SD-1: The OD-1 is the original Boss overdrive (1977), later replaced by the SD-1 Super Overdrive. Both have a characteristic midrange hump that pushes the amp harder. Set Drive low-to-medium, Level above unity, Tone to taste. The SD-1 is still available new for around £45 — one of the best value pedals in existence.
Klon Centaur / Klon KTR: The Klon is a transparent overdrive that adds harmonic content without colouring the tone dramatically. Moore used Klon-style circuits in his later rig. The original Klon Centaur is now a collector's item (£1,500+). The Klon KTR (official reissue) is around £300. Budget alternatives: Wampler Tumnus (£80), J. Rockett Archer (£120), Electro-Harmonix Soul Food (£45).
Tube Screamer TS808: Moore also used the TS808 in various configurations. Set Gain around 3, Level at unity or slightly above, Tone at noon. This is the classic blues-boost setting — it tightens the bass and pushes the amp into compression.
The Vibrato: The Untameable Element
Gary Moore's vibrato is the most distinctive element of his playing and the hardest to approximate. It is extremely wide — wider than most guitarists use — and relatively slow. It starts slow and builds in intensity. It is not a shimmer or a subtle ornament. It is a major expressive statement applied to almost every sustained note.
How he did it: Moore used his third finger almost exclusively for vibrato, supported by the first and second fingers behind it. The motion is in the wrist, not the finger joint. He bent and released in one fluid rocking motion. The width comes from the physical commitment of the whole hand, not just finger pressure.
How to practice it: Sustain a note on the B string at the 15th fret. Bend upward by a full semitone, then return to pitch. Repeat. Start slowly — one cycle per second — and aim for absolute consistency. The note must return exactly to pitch each time. Moore's vibrato sounds wide because it genuinely is: a full semitone or more, applied with total control.
This is months of practice for most players, not a day. Do not expect the gear to compensate for it.
Amp Settings: Era by Era
Still Got The Blues era (1990)
This is the tone most people associate with "Gary Moore blues guitar." The Soldano SLO-100 at the foundation:
- Gain: 7–8 (Soldano Crunch channel)
- Bass: 5
- Mids: 7
- Treble: 6
- Presence: 5
OD pedal (TS808 or SD-1) in front: Gain at 2–3, Level at maximum.
Early blues/rock (Parisienne Walkways era)
Marshall JCM800 or JMP:
- Preamp Volume: 8–9
- Bass: 4
- Middle: 7
- Treble: 6
- Presence: 7
No overdrive pedal — the amp doing all the work. Very loud.
Wah Pedal and Effects
Moore used a Cry Baby wah on occasion, most notably on "Nuclear Attack" and various rock-era tracks. His blues work was largely dry — no delays, no reverb except room reverb from the amp. This dryness is part of the impact: every note is nakedly presented, which is why the vibrato matters so much.
For the later blues albums, a small amount of plate reverb (pre-delay around 30ms, decay 1.5s) adds depth without washing the tone.
Complete Budget Builds
Under £500 — Getting the Foundation
- Guitar: Epiphone Les Paul Standard 50s (£350)
- Amp: Fender Blues Junior IV or Boss Katana 50 (£180–£200)
- Pedal: Boss SD-1 (£45)
- Focus: Learn the vibrato. The gear is secondary at this level.
£500–£1,500 — Credible Tone
- Guitar: Epiphone Les Paul Custom or Gibson Les Paul Standard (entry used) (£400–£700)
- Amp: Marshall DSL40CR or Blackstar HT Club 40 (£500)
- Overdrive: Wampler Tumnus or Electro-Harmonix Soul Food (£45–£80)
- Result: Recognisably Moore-adjacent. Phrasing and vibrato determine authenticity.
£1,500–£4,000 — The Real Setup
- Guitar: Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s (£1,500) or Gibson Custom Shop 1959 (£4,000+)
- Amp: Marshall JCM800 2203 reissue (£1,200) or used Soldano SLO-100 (£2,000–£2,500)
- Overdrive: Klon KTR (£300) or TS808 Reissue (£150)
- Result: The gear is no longer the limitation.
Summary: What Actually Matters
| Element | Importance | What to Do |
|---|---|---|
| Les Paul (any) | High | Epiphone is fine to start |
| High-gain British amp | High | Marshall DSL or Blackstar HT |
| Overdrive pedal | Medium | SD-1 is £45 and works |
| Vibrato technique | Critical | Practice daily, months of work |
| Heavy strings (.011+) | Medium | Easy win, do this first |
| Tone controls | Low | Settings above as starting point |
The gear in Gary Moore's rig is purchasable. The vibrato in Gary Moore's playing is not. If you want this tone, the vibrato is where to start.
Frequently Asked Questions
What guitar did Gary Moore use most? The 1959 Peter Green Les Paul Standard is the most famous, but Moore used many Les Pauls across his career. Any Gibson or Epiphone Les Paul with PAF-style humbuckers captures the character.
What amplifier did Gary Moore use on Still Got The Blues? Primarily the Soldano SLO-100, often with a Tube Screamer or Boss OD-1 pushing the front end. Some tracks also featured modified Marshall heads.
How do you get Gary Moore's vibrato? Wide, slow, wrist-driven vibrato applied to nearly every sustained note. It takes months of focused practice. It cannot be emulated with an effect pedal.
Did Gary Moore use effects? Sparingly in the blues period — mostly a transparent overdrive or TS-style pedal and occasionally wah. His rock work used more effects. The blues tone is largely amp, guitar, and hands.
What strings did Gary Moore use? Heavy gauge — typically .011–.052. The heavy strings contribute to his thick, sustaining tone and support his wide vibrato technique.