Song Rig
Who Do You Love
Bo Diddley · Bo Diddley · 1956
Tone Overview
What Makes This Sound Unique
More raw and aggressive than the Bo Diddley single — the amp is pushed harder here, the tone closer to outright distortion. The E drone-note riff is one of the most hypnotic in blues rock history. The Ronettes, the Rolling Stones, George Thorogood, and countless others have covered this track.
Signal Chain
- 1Gretsch rectangular guitar (or Telecaster substitute)
- 2tube amp cranked
Amp Settings
More aggressive than Bo Diddley — amp pushed harder for a rougher, more distorted edge. The single E drone note riff benefits from the amp's natural compression giving sustain. Mids up for the midrange-forward character of the 1950s amp recording.
Technique
How to Play It
E drone riff on the low E string — the riff uses the open E string as a pedal note against a melodic figure on the D and G strings. The persistent low E creates the hypnotic drone that drives the song. Downstroke emphasis throughout; the pattern is relentless.
Budget Alternative
Achievable With
Any guitar → small tube amp at high volume. Learn the E-string drone riff (simple) and play it insistently at the right tempo. The swagger is in the tempo feel — slightly laid back and confident.
Your Gear
Adapt to My Amp
More from Bo Diddley
Other Song Rigs
Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley · 1955
The Bo Diddley beat — one of the most influential rhythmic patterns in popular m…
View rig →Road Runner
Have Guitar, Will Travel · 1960
Bo Diddley at his most stripped-down — the Road Runner riff is a single open E n…
View rig →Mona (I Need You Baby)
Bo Diddley · 1957
The Bo Diddley beat in its most explicit form — the rectangular Gretsch guitar t…
View rig →Hey! Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley · 1957
A more uptempo application of the Bo Diddley beat — slightly faster and more agg…
View rig →Pretty Thing
Go Bo Diddley · 1959
A slight variation from the core Bo Diddley sound — Pretty Thing uses a more con…
View rig →