Song Rig
There Is a Light That Never Goes Out
Johnny Marr · The Queen Is Dead · 1986
Tone Overview
What Makes This Sound Unique
The most celebrated Smiths track showcases Marr's most sophisticated chord vocabulary — the jangly, arpeggiated chords use open-string voicings combined with fretted notes that ring together, creating a fuller sound than standard barre chord strumming. The tone is warm and chiming, using a Telecaster or Rickenbacker through a Marshall JTM45 — slightly warmer and less clean than the Roland JC-120 tones of earlier recordings.
Signal Chain
- 1Fender Telecaster
- 2Rickenbacker 330
- 3Marshall JTM45
- 4Boss CE-2 Chorus
Amp Settings
The JTM45 at low gain produces a slightly warmer, less defined clean than the Roland JC-120 — giving The Queen Is Dead a slightly more intimate quality than earlier Smiths recordings.
Technique
How to Play It
Marr's open-string chord voicings are the defining technique of The Smiths. Rather than barre chords, he uses capo and open-string shapes to create ringing, sustained notes within moving harmonies — a folk guitar technique applied to pop/rock context.
Budget Alternative
Achievable With
A bright guitar (Telecaster, Rickenbacker) into a clean amp with a subtle chorus. Use a capo at fret 2-4 and explore open chord shapes. The key is letting notes ring together and finding voicings where open strings complement fretted notes.
Your Gear
Adapt to My Amp
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