Song Rig

Meeting of the Spirits

John McLaughlin · The Inner Mounting Flame · 1971

Tone Overview

What Makes This Sound Unique

The Mahavishnu Orchestra debut opener — McLaughlin's double-neck Gibson through a Marshall stack creates the template for jazz-rock fusion guitar. The tone is simultaneously cleaner than rock and heavier than jazz, with a compressed, sustaining quality from the Gibson's humbuckers and the Marshall's power amp saturation.

Signal Chain

1Gibson EDS-1275 double-neck (6-string neck, both pickups)
2Marshall Super Lead 100W
3Octavia or similar pitch-doubling effect (occasional)

Amp Settings

Gain / Volume7

Bass6

Mid7

Treble7

Presence7

Medium-high gain Marshall — the Inner Mounting Flame was recorded at relatively high volume for a jazz album, bringing rock power to jazz improvisation. The humbuckers' warmth prevents the high gain from sounding harsh.

Technique

How to Play It

Rapid alternate picking over odd time signatures — McLaughlin plays bebop-speed single-note lines at rock volume over complex, shifting time signatures derived from Indian classical music (7/8, 10/8, etc). The physical technique is jazz; the context is rock.

Budget Alternative

Achievable With

Gibson ES-335 or Les Paul → Marshall JCM800 at medium-high gain → study McLaughlin's phrasing: bebop scale patterns (chromatic approach notes, bebop scales) at high speed over chord changes that shift rapidly.

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