Song Rig

In This Place

Robin Trower · Bridge of Sighs · 1974

Tone Overview

What Makes This Sound Unique

The Bridge of Sighs album's most atmospheric ballad — a slow, reverb-heavy piece where the Univibe and Marshall produce a dreamlike, distant guitar sound. The tone has less drive than Too Rolling Stoned, sitting closer to clean-with-Univibe rather than driven-with-Univibe.

Signal Chain

1Fender Stratocaster (neck pickup)
2Univibe (moderate rate)
3Marshall (lower gain than Too Rolling Stoned)
4Binson Echorec or similar tape echo

Amp Settings

Gain / Volume4

Bass6

Mid7

Treble6

Reverb5

Lower gain, more reverb — the atmospheric quality of In This Place comes from the space between notes as much as the notes themselves. The reverb and Univibe together create a wide, swimming texture.

Technique

How to Play It

Sparse, breathable lead phrasing — In This Place uses long rests between melodic phrases, allowing the reverb and Univibe modulation to fill the space. Trower plays fewer notes here than on the more extroverted tracks, trusting the tone to carry the emotional weight.

Budget Alternative

Achievable With

Stratocaster neck pickup → Univibe clone → Boss RE-20 Space Echo → Fender Twin Reverb at low gain → spring reverb → play slowly and leave long pauses between phrases.

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