Song Rig

Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy

Paul Gilbert · Lean Into It · 1991

Tone Overview

What Makes This Sound Unique

Mr. Big's heaviest track and their commercial peak — Paul uses the Ibanez Fireman through the Mesa Boogie for a tight, high-gain tone that showcases his alternate picking without the shred virtuosity of his Racer X work. The production is polished arena rock rather than technical metal.

Signal Chain

1Ibanez Fireman (Paul Gilbert signature, DiMarzio The Tone Zone)
2Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+ or IIB
3Marshall 4×12

Amp Settings

Gain / Volume8

Bass6

Mid7

Treble7

Presence8

The Mark IIC+'s distinctive tight, compressed high-gain sound — less saggy than a Rectifier, more aggressive than a Marshall. The Fireman's mahogany body adds warmth to what would otherwise be a very clinical-sounding high-gain setup.

Technique

How to Play It

Controlled alternate picking at high gain — the chorus of Daddy, Brother features double-picked riffs where every note is picked with precise alternating downstroke/upstroke motion rather than using legato to smooth out the runs.

Budget Alternative

Achievable With

HSS superstrat or Ibanez → Mesa Boogie Mark series → practice alternate picking with a metronome: every note picked, no hammer-ons or pull-offs, even for fast passages.

Your Gear