Song Rig

The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown)

Peter Green · The Green Manalishi · 1970

Tone Overview

What Makes This Sound Unique

Peter Green's darkest and most disturbing recording — his last single before leaving Fleetwood Mac, written after a LSD-triggered breakdown. The guitar tone is heavier and more aggressive than any previous Green recording, with the out-of-phase Les Paul pushed into natural distortion for the sinister, grinding riff that later influenced Judas Priest.

Signal Chain

1Gibson Les Paul Standard (1959, out-of-phase)
2Marshall or similar (pushed to distortion)
3Wah pedal (on specific sections)

Amp Settings

Gain / Volume7

Bass7

Mid7

Treble7

Presence7

The most gain of any Peter Green recording — the psychological darkness of the song pushed Green toward a heavier guitar sound than his blues work. The out-of-phase pickup still creates the characteristic nasal quality but now into a distorted amp.

Technique

How to Play It

Grinding riff with aggressive downstrokes — the main riff uses sustained power chords with heavy downstroke attack, a dramatic departure from Green's usual lyrical single-note blues approach.

Budget Alternative

Achievable With

Les Paul (out-of-phase modification for authenticity, or standard for a close approximation) → Marshall JCM800 at high gain → wah pedal for the filter passages. Judas Priest's version uses conventional humbuckers and is easier to replicate.

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