🎸 Rock · 1970s

Fly By Night by Rush (Riff · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

by Rush · riff

The Fly By Night by Rush guitar tone is built on a Marshall 50-watt head with single 4x12 cabinet and Fender Twin Reverb, dialed in at gain 5.5/10, bass 6.5, mid 6, treble 7, presence 5.5 (community-researched baseline). Full breakdown below — then adapt every knob to your exact guitar and amp, free.

🎛️ These settings are for the original rig — re-dial them for YOUR amp in 10 seconds. Free, no signup →

Amp settings (0–10)

5.5

GAIN

6.5

BASS

MID

TREBLE

5.5

PRESENCE

REVERB

Community-researched baseline. Your rig is different — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials every knob for your specific guitar, amp and pickups.

How these settings compare

Measured against the 540 rock tones in our researched catalog: Gain 5.5 sits right around the rock average (4.8); mids at 6 are right around average (6.2).

Guitar controls

VOLUME

TONE

Original gear

Guitar: Gibson ES-335 · Amp: Marshall 50-watt head with single 4x12 cabinet and Fender Twin Reverb

Studio recording, 1974; Alex Lifeson confirmed using a Gibson ES-335 into both a Fender Twin and a Marshall 50-watt with a single 4x12 cabinet for the Fly By Night album. Echoplex was his only effect. Settings are for the studio recording, not live.

Gear used on this tone

🎚️ Marshall songs & tones →🎚️ Fender Twin Reverb songs & tones →🎚️ humbucker guitars songs & tones →🎚️ Gibson ES-335 songs & tones →🎚️ Maestro Echoplex tape delay songs & tones →

Don’t own this gear? GuitarToneAdapt re-creates the sound on the rig you actually have.

Pickups

Bridge pickup

Signal chain

Gibson ES-335 → Echoplex (tape echo, likely EP-3) → Marshall 50-watt head with single 4x12 cabinet and Fender Twin Reverb

Effects

delay

Tone character

defined, moderately gainy, British crunch, tight, punchy rhythm, clear note separation, classic rock drive, articulate attack, full-bodied midrange, not overly saturated, slight edge of breakup, dynamic response

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

straight, medium tempo, loud dynamics · crunch distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the Fly By Night sound.

Difficulty

2.5/5 · Riff

The riff requires tight, punchy rhythm playing with accurate muting and chord stabs, but does not involve advanced techniques or fast runs.

Worth knowing

Amp settings are sourced from a forum post (Ultimate Guitar) and may not be from the original session; averaged with typical Marshall settings for classic rock.
Guitar and amp models are confirmed by Alex Lifeson in Guitar World interview.
No evidence of additional pedals or effects except Echoplex; no delay or modulation is audible in the riff section.
Presence setting is estimated based on typical Marshall usage for this era.
Reverb is set to 0 as neither amp was likely using reverb for the main riff, and no reverb is audible in the recording.
Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Alex Lifeson on 'Fly By Night' used a Gibson ES-335 into a Hiwatt or Marshall, favoring a classic 70s rock crunch with strong mids and moderate gain. The tone is punchy, mid-forward, and articulate with subtle ambience, matching typical British rock amp settings of the era.

⚡ Same tone, YOUR gear — re-dials the gain & EQ for your amp and pickups, free →

🎧 Can you guess the tone?

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Fly By Night guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the Fly By Night guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 5.5, bass 6.5, mid 6, treble 7, presence 5.5, reverb 1. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

What gear was used for the Fly By Night tone?

Original gear/effects: Guitar: Gibson ES-335 · Amp: Marshall 50-watt head with single 4x12 cabinet and Fender Twin Reverb; delay.

Can I get the Fly By Night tone on a different guitar or amp?

Yes. Different guitars and amps need different knob positions to sound the same. GuitarToneAdapt models pickup output and wood brightness, then compensates so you match the record on your own rig.

How do I sound like Rush on Fly By Night — what gear and pedals?

Start with Bridge pickup, the amp EQ above (gain 5.5, bass 6.5, mid 6, treble 7, presence 5.5, reverb 1), and delay. Then let GuitarToneAdapt compensate for the guitar, amp and pedals you actually own so it sits like the record.

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Sources

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More like this

🎸 How to get Rush’s guitar tone → · 🎸 more Rock guitar tones → · 🎚️ Fender Twin Reverb settings → · 🎛️ best rock amp settings → · 🎸 more iconic guitar riffs → · 🎚️ Delay tone guide → · 🎯 more high gain tones → · 📖 New to amp settings? What every knob does →

Settings are community-researched estimates, not official. GuitarToneAdapt adapts them to your gear. guitartoneadapt.com