Song Rig
Bad Boys
John Sykes · Whitesnake · 1987
Tone Overview
What Makes This Sound Unique
From the Whitesnake self-titled album — Sykes's Les Paul/Marshall combination at its most polished and commercial. The 1987 Whitesnake production gave Sykes's heavy tone a sheen absent from the Thin Lizzy recordings, with studio compression and EQ smoothing the Marshall's natural rough edges.
Signal Chain
- 1Gibson Les Paul Custom (1987 era)
- 2Marshall JCM800 (polished studio version)
- 3MXR Distortion+ (boost)
- 4Eventide H3000 (harmonised studio lead)
Amp Settings
The 1987 Whitesnake album production adds studio polish to Sykes's live tone — heavy compression, careful EQ, and harmoniser processing create a thicker, bigger-sounding guitar than the raw Marshall + Les Paul combination alone.
Technique
How to Play It
Harmonised double-tracked leads — the 1987 Whitesnake album features Sykes's leads harmonised using the Eventide H3000, adding a third or fifth above the main melodic line. This creates the huge-sounding, layered lead guitar characteristic of 1980s arena rock.
Budget Alternative
Achievable With
Les Paul → Marshall JCM800 → DigiTech Whammy or TC Electronic Harmonizer (set to harmonise at a 3rd or 5th above) → the harmoniser + Les Paul combination captures most of the 1987 Whitesnake lead tone.
Your Gear
Adapt to My Amp
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