Song Rig
Cold Day in Hell
Gary Moore · Blues for Greeny · 1995
Tone Overview
What Makes This Sound Unique
From Gary's tribute to Peter Green — using Peter's actual 1959 Les Paul, Gary captures the out-of-phase pickup mystery of the original Green Strat. The tone is darker and more compressed than Gary's own Les Paul sound, with the wired-out-of-phase middle/neck position producing the characteristic thin, nasal tone.
Signal Chain
- 1Peter Green's 1959 Gibson Les Paul (middle/neck blend, out-of-phase humbuckers)
- 2Fender Bassman or clean Fender amp
- 3Light studio reverb
Amp Settings
Peter Green's Les Paul has a uniquely wired out-of-phase humbuckers that produces a thin, quacky character unlike any other Les Paul. Gary used the actual guitar for Blues for Greeny, making the tone almost impossible to replicate without it.
Technique
How to Play It
Peter Green fingerstyle approach rather than Gary's own technique — Gary consciously adopts Green's lighter touch and restrained vibrato for the tribute album, subordinating his own aggressive style to honour the original.
Budget Alternative
Achievable With
Les Paul with one humbucker reversed in phase (DIY modification) or any single-coil guitar in the middle position → clean Fender amp → light spring reverb. The out-of-phase character is the defining tonal element.
Your Gear
Adapt to My Amp
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