How to Sound Like Mick Ronson — Ziggy Stardust Guitar Tone Guide

Mick Ronson is one of the most underrated guitarists in rock history. The guitar sound on David Bowie's classic albums — "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars" (1972), "Aladdin Sane" (1973), "Pin Ups" (1973) — is his. It is a sound that defined glam rock and influenced an entire generation of guitarists from Slash to Noel Gallagher.

The formula is simple: a Les Paul through a loud Marshall. The execution is extraordinary.

The Guitar

Mick Ronson played a 1968 Gibson Les Paul Custom — the black Les Paul Custom, also known as the "Black Beauty." The '68 Custom had specific specifications that differ from the '59 Standard that most people think of as the classic Les Paul:

• Three pickups: Two humbuckers plus a third pickup in the middle position, though Ronson used primarily the bridge and neck
• Ebony fingerboard: Rather than the rosewood used on Standards
• Grover tuners: The original Klusons were replaced with Grovers for tuning stability
• Chrome hardware: Rather than gold

The key sonic difference from a '59 Standard: the '68 Custom tends to be slightly brighter and more aggressive in the upper-mid frequencies. It bites rather than sings. This suits the aggressive Ronson lead tone perfectly.

What to buy:

• Budget (£300–£500): Epiphone Les Paul Custom — the correct look and humbucker tone at a fraction of the cost. Very good value.
• Mid (£700–£1,200): Gibson Les Paul Studio (humbucker tone without the Custom's extra hardware and finish)
• Pro (£2,000+): Gibson Les Paul Custom (current production) — ebony fingerboard, three pickups, multi-ply binding, chrome hardware

The bridge pickup is Ronson's primary pickup for lead playing. It produces the aggressive, bright-but-thick tone of his most famous riffs.

The Amplifier

Marshall Super Lead 100W — specifically the JMP Super Lead, the plexi-era Marshall that defined British rock in the early 1970s. Ronson ran it loud. Very loud.

How the Marshall works at high volume: The Super Lead has no master volume control. The only way to drive the power section (which is where the most musical saturation comes from) is to turn the input volume up until the power stage clips. At lower volumes, the amp is relatively clean. At high volumes — 7–9 on the dial — the power stage saturates and produces the compressed, sustaining overdrive that defines British rock.

Ronson played at high volume. Not because he was showing off — because the amp sounds fundamentally different, and better, at high volume.

Settings (approximated):

• Volume (Lead channel): 7–8
• Bass: 6
• Middle: 7
• Treble: 6
• Presence: 6
• Bright input (no pad): selected

Budget alternatives:

• Marshall DSL40CR (£500): The Classic Gain channel approximates the plexi territory with a master volume, meaning you can get the tone at lower volumes
• Marshall Origin 50H (£550): Specifically designed to replicate plexi character with power output scaling — you can reduce to 12.5W for the same character at lower volumes
• Marshall SV20H Studio Vintage (£650): A 20W reissue of the 1959 Super Lead, the most direct descendant of Ronson's amp

The Playing Style

Ronson's approach synthesises several influences:

Blues vocabulary: Ronson absorbed Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, and Hendrix. His lead lines are pentatonic-based but applied to glam rock's more dramatic, theatrical context.

Orchestral awareness: Before joining Bowie, Ronson worked as a string arranger and session musician. He understood how to fit a guitar part into a larger arrangement — which notes to leave out, where to support the vocal melody, how to build and release tension. This is rare in rock guitarists.

Aggressive pick attack: The Les Paul bridge pickup through a loud Marshall already has significant compression. Ronson adds forward pick attack that pushes the compression further, creating the "hitting a wall" sensation of the heavier riffs.

The riff vocabulary:

"Ziggy Stardust": The main riff is Les Paul bridge pickup, Marshall loud, played with a medium pick and strong right-hand attack. The chord voicings are relatively simple — the power comes from the amp response to the strings.

"Suffragette City": More aggressive. The "wham bam thank you ma'am" riff uses a two-handed pick technique with significant right-hand force. The piano and drums fill in the rhythm; the guitar cuts through the arrangement.

"Moonage Daydream": The lead solo is quintessential Ronson — pentatonic phrases, wide vibrato, a natural return to the vocal melody line. He never plays for the sake of notes; there is always a melodic logic.

Effects

Ronson's setup was remarkably simple for the early 1970s:

• No overdrive pedals (the amp provided the overdrive)
• A wah pedal on occasion (Cry Baby or similar)
• Built-in studio reverb on recordings, not used live
• No delay, no chorus, no modulation

The "raw" quality of the Bowie glam recordings comes partly from this simplicity — each guitar note stands alone with minimal processing.

Key Recordings to Study

• "Ziggy Stardust" — the tone, the riff, the Les Paul through Marshall at its most unadorned
• "Moonage Daydream" — the extended solo is a masterclass in melodic lead playing
• "Suffragette City" — aggression and energy
• "Jean Genie" — boogie-influenced riff, slightly different tone (may have used a different guitar)
• "All The Young Dudes" (Mott The Hoople) — Ronson produced and played on this. The guitar tone is similar.
• "Oh! You Pretty Things" arrangement — shows Ronson's orchestral side; he arranged the strings

Complete Budget Builds

Under £500 — Core Tone

• Guitar: Epiphone Les Paul Custom (£350) — three humbuckers, correct look, decent tone
• Amp: Marshall DSL40CR (£500) — Classic Gain channel for the plexi territory
• No pedals: Guitar → amp, that's it

£800–£1,500 — Proper Setup

• Guitar: Gibson Les Paul Studio or Standard (£800–£1,200)
• Amp: Marshall Origin 50 or SV20H (£500–£650)
• Wah: Dunlop Cry Baby GCB95 (£75) for occasional use
• Result: Very convincing Ziggy Stardust territory

£2,000+ — Authentic Rig

• Guitar: Gibson Les Paul Custom (£2,000+)
• Amp: Marshall 1959 Super Lead reissue (£2,500) or genuine vintage JMP
• Power attenuator: Marshall Power Brake or Rivera RockCrusher (£150–£300) to get power-amp saturation at lower volumes
• Result: The exact setup, with volume management

Summary

Frequently Asked Questions

What guitar did Mick Ronson use? A 1968 Gibson Les Paul Custom — the "Black Beauty" three-pickup model. The bridge pickup is the primary lead pickup.

What amplifier did Mick Ronson use? Marshall Super Lead 100W (JMP plexi), run loud. The power-amp saturation from the loud Marshall is the foundation of his tone.

Why does Mick Ronson's tone sound so aggressive? The combination of Les Paul bridge humbucker and a Marshall Super Lead driven into power-amp saturation produces a forward, compressed, sustaining overdrive. His aggressive pick attack pushes it further.

Did Mick Ronson use effects pedals? Very few — occasional wah, no overdrive, no delay or modulation. The tone comes entirely from guitar and amplifier.

What songs are best for learning Mick Ronson's style? "Ziggy Stardust," "Moonage Daydream," and "Suffragette City" cover the main aspects of his playing — riffing, lead, and energy respectively.