Song Rig

Tattoo'd Lady

Rory Gallagher · Blueprint · 1973

Tone Overview

What Makes This Sound Unique

Raw, swaggering Irish blues-rock — Gallagher's battered 1961 Stratocaster through a Vox AC30 creates a tone that sounds lived-in and authentic. No compression, no effects — just pickup and amp with maximum feel.

Signal Chain

1Fender Stratocaster 1961 (heavily worn, neck pickup for leads)
2Vox AC30 (cranked)
3Dallas Rangemaster treble booster

Amp Settings

Gain / Volume8

Bass7

Mid7

Treble7

Presence6

AC30 pushed into natural overdrive with the Rangemaster treble booster — the EL84 power amp saturation is the tone. Gallagher never used a separate overdrive pedal; everything came from amp volume.

Technique

How to Play It

Gallagher attacked the strings from below (upstroke motion even on downpicks) — this produces a different string attack than conventional downstroke, creating his characteristic ragged, expressive quality.

Budget Alternative

Achievable With

Strat (any condition) + AC15 or AC30 at high volume + treble booster. The Rangemaster clone (Electro-Harmonix LPB-1 or Soul Food into the front) gets the boost character.