Song Rig
Empty Rooms
Gary Moore · Victims of the Future · 1983
Tone Overview
What Makes This Sound Unique
Gary's rock ballad tone before his full blues conversion — clean chord strumming building to a heavily sustained Les Paul lead that bridges his hard rock and blues periods. The neck pickup through the Soldano at moderate gain produces a wide, singing tone with more warmth than the heavier album tracks.
Signal Chain
- 1Gibson Les Paul Standard (1959 model, neck pickup)
- 2Soldano SLO-100 or Marshall (medium gain for solo)
- 3Roland SDE-1000 Delay
- 4MXR Distortion+ (clean boost)
Amp Settings
Medium gain rather than high gain — the ballad context calls for emotion rather than aggression. The neck pickup provides the sustain and warmth needed for the lyrical solo without the bite of the bridge position.
Technique
How to Play It
Controlled, melodic phrasing with deliberate vibrato on each held note — Gary uses a slower, wider vibrato in his ballad solos than in his blues work, giving the phrases a more operatic, theatrical quality.
Budget Alternative
Achievable With
Les Paul neck pickup → medium-gain amp (JCM800 at 6/10 or Fender Deluxe Reverb pushed) → Boss DD-3 delay → hall reverb. The sustained melodic approach comes from the playing technique, not gain.
Your Gear
Adapt to My Amp
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