Joe Satriani — £2,500 · Premium Rig

• Legato technique: hammer-ons and pull-offs with consistent velocity — every note equally loud
• DigiTech Whammy set to 1 octave up for dive bombs and pitch-shifted leads
• Lydian mode (#4) gives Satriani's melodies their floaty, uplifting quality
• High gain but pick lightly — Satriani's controlled attack prevents muddiness
• Whammy bar for subtle vibrato between notes (bar never sits still)
• Natural harmonics (12th, 7th, 5th frets) feature heavily — tap lightly for bell-like tones
• Artificial harmonics: pick near the nut while lightly touching at the 12th fret above the fretted note
• Delay: 300–400ms at low feedback — adds depth without cluttering melodic lines

• ✗Running the Marshall DSL's gain channel at maximum — above 8 on most high-gain channels, palm mutes lose note separation and become an indistinct wall. The target is the minimum gain for the target saturation, not maximum
• ✗Leaving the wah pedal engaged but stationary between rocking it — a cocked wah (fixed position, not moving) acts as a midrange filter that changes the core tone. Either rock it expressively or bypass it completely; a cocked wah changes the sound in ways that are often unintended
• ✗Forgetting to adjust technique for the different neck profile — thinner, faster necks require less grip pressure. Playing with the same pressure as on a thicker neck causes note choke.
• ✗Scooping the mids on a Marshall-style amp — the upper midrange emphasis is what makes British amps cut through. Mid-scoop EQ sounds good alone but disappears in a band mix.
• ✗Maximum gain on the amp channel — this is the most common mistake in high-gain playing. The clarity and note separation that makes fast playing readable degrades at maximum gain.
• ✗Leaving the wah in a fixed position (cocked) between uses — a cocked wah acts as a midrange filter and changes the tone. If not using the wah expressively, take it out of the chain.
• ✗Too many repeats at high mix — more than 3 repeats makes the delay effect accumulate and overwhelm the dry guitar signal. Keep it to 2-3 repeats at a subtle mix level.
• ✗Setting gain to maximum — above 8 on most amp channels, note separation degrades and riffs lose definition. The loudness feels greater but the clarity goes down.

Ibanez JS (single humbucker, floating trem) into a Marshall JVM or Mesa Boogie Mark IV. High gain but very controlled — Satriani's tone is smooth and singing rather than chaotic. The DigiTech Whammy adds octave effects and divebombs; controlled legato technique produces the fluid, effortless phrasing.