Name that vintage tone?

  • Hi everyone. I know this might be a silly song, but the production has a nice vintage quality and I'm looking to replicate the guitar and bass tones (and it IS a classic, teenybopper or not). The closest I can get to the opening lead tone is with some of my AC30 profiles with a lot of room. Does anyone have any profiles to share or suggestions?


    "Magic" by Pilot:

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    I'm still new here so please let me know if I've posted in the wrong forum, or if these kinds of inquiries are annoying. I thought "Name that Tone" would be a nice sub-forum topic on it's own, if it doesn't already exist...


    I appreciate all the help and so far I really love the community!


    rock on

  • The guitarist in question was most likely Ian Bairnson, at least Wikipedia listed him for the harmony guitar parts on that track. I don't know what he played on "Magic", but that guy also played the legendary solo on Kate Bush's "wuthering hights" and there he used an early ES 335 straight in a Marshall plexi.


    That sound is pretty archetypical 70s Marshall + Humbucker pop-guitar sound, there have been loads of bands working with the same formula (from Slade to Kiss). I'm not sure if there are too many pedals involved, maybe a big muff or a simple booster.


    If you want to copy that sound, just get a good Plexi profile (by Topjimi or Ampfactory) and an ES-type guitar. Maybe try a booster to taste.

  • Thanks everyone! I have plenty of Plexi profiles and a 70s Gibson HB, but if anyone comes across a profile that really has that characteristic please let me know. Most of the Marshall profiles I've tried sound a little scooped for some reason...it works a lot better with an open back cab and a semi-hollow ric with toaster HB pickups. But these suggestions are much appreciated!

  • It sounds like the parts are double tracked (at least on the intro) which is helping the overall tone...I found this

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    and hes using Orange Amps.

    You're damned if you do and damned if you don't