Gary Moore
Blues-RockHard RockBlues1970s–2010s

Gary Moore

Gibson Les Paul Standard (including Peter Green's original 1959 burst for a period) into a Marshall 100W. The tone is thick, hot and articulate — mid-heavy with aggressive pick attack and dramatic sustained vibrato. No heavy effects; the emotion is entirely in the hands.

Budget Rig Breakdown

Signal Chain

GuitarLP Std
ODJoyo Vintage
AmpKatana 50
Epiphone Les Paul Standard — Guitar
Boss Katana 50 MkII — Amp
Estimated total~£507

Key Tone Tips

  • Wide, slow-starting vibrato that gradually increases in width — mimics a singer's natural swell
  • Extreme string bends — Moore bent strings further than almost any other player
  • Bridge pickup for scorching leads; neck pickup for smoother, BB King-influenced phrases
  • Boss SD-1 as clean boost (gain low, level high) — pushes amp into natural saturation
  • Marshall EQ: bass 6, mid 7, treble 6 — mid-forward, not scooped
  • Pick hard and then control the note — dynamics come from attack, not the amp
  • Blues phrasing over hard rock backing creates the emotional tension central to Moore's style
  • Tremolo arm for occasional dive bomb effects — but used sparingly vs pure vibrato
  • Study "Still Got The Blues" and "Parisienne Walkways" for the definitive slow-blues approach

About Gary Moore's Sound

Gary Moore combined hard rock technique with the raw emotion of BB King and Albert King to produce one of the most powerful and expressive blues-rock tones ever recorded. His Les Paul through a Marshall delivered screaming vibrato and unrestrained string bends that sounded more like crying than playing.