Song Rig

Shadow Dancing

Eric Gales · Picture of a Man · 2017

Tone Overview

What Makes This Sound Unique

Gales' comeback album after personal difficulties — a mature, darker tone that reflects his life experiences. The guitar is heavier and more deliberate than the debut albums, with the SG or Les Paul producing a denser, more compressed tone appropriate to the slower tempos of his mid-career work.

Signal Chain

1Gibson SG or Les Paul (left-handed)
2Mesa Boogie or Marshall (higher gain than debut era)
3Wah pedal (Dunlop Cry Baby)

Amp Settings

Gain / Volume8

Bass7

Mid7

Treble7

Presence7

Heavier and more compressed than the debut recordings — the 2017 Gales has a denser, more modern high-gain approach that reflects both the passage of time and a more confident guitar identity.

Technique

How to Play It

Slow blues with heavy bending emphasis — Shadow Dancing shows Gales at his most deliberate and expressive, bending strings wider than conventional blues guitarists and sustaining bent notes for dramatic effect.

Budget Alternative

Achievable With

Les Paul or SG → Mesa Boogie or Marshall at high gain → wah pedal → the wide-bend technique requires a guitar setup with lower action and lighter strings (9s or even 8s) to physically accommodate the extreme bend widths Gales uses.

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