If you want to know the best Sweet Child O’ Mine amp settings to get the awesome sound that Guns N’ Roses had on this song, you’ve come to the right post!
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Let’s first glance at my recommended Sweet Child O’ Mine amp settings for that unforgettable tone:
- Gain at 85% for intro and lead, 60% for rhythm
- Volume at 70%+
- Treble at 90%
- Mids at 50%+
- Bass 50%-60% but < mids
- Presence at 80%
- Resonance at 75%
- Reverb at 20%-30%
Also, if you want a high-resolution, unblurred, printable version of these amp settings as shown below, join my weekly newsletter to access our vault of resources including this printable!
But there’s more to achieving that Slash tone than just amp settings!
You’ll need to consider effects pedals, the use of a boost pedal, and even a noise suppressor to manage feedback.
I’ll unpack this more in the sections below.
The Iconic Song
It may be overplayed at this point.
However, Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child O’ Mine” is one of the rock essentials and part of countless guitar players’ repertoires.
It came out on the band’s debut record “Appetite for Destruction.”
For the most part, the song is famous for its intro riff and the solo.
This song boosted Slash’s reputation and left an indelible mark on the rock music genre.
And Slash’s amps were instrumental in achieving that praised tone on the album.
All of his guitar parts in the piece have further helped define rock music.
Music fans and musicians also praised his tone on the album.
What Key Is Sweet Child of Mine In?
To fully understand the Sweet Child O’ Mine amp settings, let’s first decode the song’s key.
The song also has a modulation midway through it, which gives it an additional key.
So let’s start there.
The solo that comes midway through the song is in E-flat minor or D-sharp minor.
Both answers are technically correct.
You should also bear in mind that they’re tuned to E-flat / eb standard here.
If you see Slash playing an E chord, that’s technically E-flat, meaning each string is tuned a half step down from standard tuning (eb ab db gb bb eb).
But the first part of the song seems a bit tricky.
Let’s look at the chord progression.
It goes:
- C-sharp major, B major, F-sharp major, C-sharp major
If you tune your guitar a semitone lower, you play these positions of chords:
- D major, C major, G major, D major
There’s also an additional chord progression in the chorus that goes:
- G-sharp 5, B major, C-sharp major
The answer is a bit tricky.
As you can see, the chord progression centers on the C-sharp major.
That means that everything is resolved on the C-sharp major chord.
However, the B major chord doesn’t fit the C-sharp major scale.
Additionally, the G-sharp power chord is ambiguous as it’s neither major nor minor.
But, in this case, it serves as a minor chord.
So what’s the deal?
You won’t like the answer.
It’s in C-sharp Mixolydian.
Technically, that makes the key of “Sweet Child o’ Mine” F-sharp major.
Before We Get to the Sweet Child O Mine Amp Settings: What You Should Know First
Slash used a custom-made replica of a 1959 Gibson Les Paul on the album and the song.
If you want, you can pick up a similar guitar at Guitar Center here:
Regardless, I highly suggest you use an electric guitar with humbuckers for the song.
Select the neck humbucker for the intro and the first part of the solo.
Ideally, you don’t have high-output pickups for this setup.
You can also use single coils, but the guitar tone won’t be 100% there.
If you have no other choice, you can use your guitar’s tone knob to soften the tone a bit.
Go down to about 75 to 90% of the maximum setting.
I could say the same thing about active humbuckers or any humbuckers that sound sharper.
Play around with the tuning control but don’t go too low.
Since there are a lot of lead parts, you’ll also need a set of strings with the right gauge and a sturdy pick.
Dunlop Jazz III is a great set for this:
But anything similar can work.
As far as strings go, use what you want!
These days, Slash mostly uses Ernie Ball strings with brass wire.
They’re slightly brighter which helps add some attack to the tone.
Preferred Amps
On the album, Slash used modified Marshall amplifiers 1959T Super Lead.
This is a tube amp model traditionally bearing EL34 power tubes.
However, there’s a chance that his amps had 6550 tubes instead.
Regardless, Marshall’s classic British tone works the best for the song.
You can get pretty close with any similar amp that comes with EL34 tubes.
Plus, I always suggest using a tube-driven amp of any kind.
And preferably, I’d suggest going with a lower-wattage amp.
But if you’re playing in your room at lower volume settings, getting a good tone on a high-wattage amp is hard.
You can also use an American-style amp, like classic Fenders.
However, in this case, I suggest that you use a smoother overdrive like Tube Screamer to drive the clean channel.
It will help you get that creamy tone.
An average solid-state amp can also do the trick.
Most of them have digital processing units these days that emulate different amps.
There’s got to be a vintage Marshall digital model on there, so try that.
But a regular solid-state amp might be a bit tricky to use here.
And, in my opinion, it’s even better to use software plugins.
These can either be standalone programs or plugins in your DAW, like in GarageBand.
Deep Dive into Sweet Child O’ Mine Amp Settings
There isn’t a general rule for every amplifier.
For better or for worse, amp models are all different.
However, we can narrow it down to certain parameters.
As I mentioned previously, I believe that tube-driven amps in the style of Marshalls are the best for the song.
And I’ll do this brief guide with such amps in mind.
Gain
As for the input gain, the song’s intro and all lead parts should have a higher gain setting.
I suggest that you dial it in at around 80 to 85%.
If you have a modern high-gain amp, then you can go lower.
All of this, of course, means you need to use a distortion channel on your amp.
If you have an old-school tube amp with a single channel, then you’ll need an additional distortion pedal.
As for rhythm parts, go lower.
The best way would be to have a crunch channel or additional switchable gain control.
Overall, the gain setting for rhythm parts should be at around 60%.
Volume (Tube Amps Only)
If you’re using a tube amp, volume control is extremely important.
It affects the tone.
In short, you need to set the volume to at least 70%.
That’s how you’ll make it roar.
EQ
A good EQ pedal can be a secret weapon, allowing you to fine-tune your tone and ensure your guitar stands out in the mix.
A chorus pedal can also add depth to your clean tones, while delay pedals can provide an echoey tail to your lead lines.
Setting the EQ may be a bit tricky.
I’ll share my experience and how I did it on a Marshall DSL20CR.
For the entire song, I went with a high-treble setting.
You can even push it to the maximum setting.
But I advise you to keep it at around 90%.
The mids should be over 50%.
It worked the best somewhere at around 70% for me.
Lastly, the bass should be noticeable but not overwhelming.
I usually like to keep it at 50 to 60% and always quieter than mids.
If you’re playing alone at home, it can be the same as mids.
But if you’re with a band, it’s best to keep it lower as mentioned.
As far as the presence knob goes, I had it higher up at around 80%.
The resonance control didn’t matter so much, but I always prefer to have it at around 75%.
In case you have a parametric EQ, it would be best to push some of the higher mids.
This will give you more punch, especially in the lead parts that are mostly played through the neck pickup.
Effects
Now, let’s talk about effects pedals.
To emulate Slash’s tone, you’ll likely want to have a boost pedal on hand for those searing leads and a wah pedal, which Slash famously uses in many of his solos.
If your amp has a simple reverb control, you can add some.
I think it sounds the best if it’s at around 20% to 30%.
Your tone shouldn’t be too saturated with reverb or any other effects.
From my experience, reverb worked better than delay.
It gives a more genuine feel and sounds slightly vintage.
As far as other effects go, you shouldn’t add anything.
Apart from some reverb, your tone should be dry.
Sweet Child O’ Mine Amp Settings: Final Thoughts
If you want to continue to fine-tune your Slash sound, check out the video above!
Navigating the vast world of guitar tones can be challenging, but with this in-depth exploration of the Sweet Child O’ Mine amp settings, you should be well-equipped to replicate the quintessential Guns N’ Roses’s sound with your own gear.
Remember, practice, experimentation, and patience are key.
Your journey toward achieving the perfect tone will require fine-tuning and adjustments based on your unique setup and playing style.
Intrigued about delving deeper into guitar-related discussions or have further queries regarding the Sweet Child O’ Mine amp settings?
Feel free to drop a comment below.
Your guitar journey is our journey, and we’re here to guide you every step of the way.
Lastly, if you want to read more about imitating the sound settings of other musical artists or songs, check out:
3 Responses
No dealy ? I have my delay through the loop. Dont use it? Ty
Reverb seems to work better than delay in our experience!
Hey Barry! Since the focus has been on the amp settings, I didn’t talk much about additional effects. From my experience, adding some reverb to it, if your amp has the effect, does the trick. If you prefer echo/delay, just keep it subtle. At least that’s my opinion.