🎸 Rock · 1990s

November Rain by Guns N' Roses (Solo · Clean) — Guitar Tone

by Guns N' Roses · solo

The November Rain by Guns N' Roses guitar tone is built on a Marshall 1959 Super Lead, dialed in at gain 4/10, bass 5.5, mid 8, treble 7, presence 7 (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)

GAIN

5.5

BASS

MID

TREBLE

PRESENCE

3.5

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 4 sits right around the rock average (4.8); mids at 8 are above average (6.2) — mid-forward, built to cut through a mix.

Guitar controls

7-8

VOLUME

5-6

TONE

Original gear

Guitar: Gibson Les Paul Standard (Kris Derrig '59 replica) · Amp: Marshall 1959 Super Lead (modded by Frank Levi/Glenn Buckley)

Studio recording, 1990-1991. Used for the 'Use Your Illusion I' album. Clean sections likely used the same Les Paul and Marshall amp, with amp set for low gain and possible use of outboard digital reverb/delay. No evidence of alternate guitars or amps for clean solo sections.

Gear used on this tone

🎚️ Marshall Plexi songs & tones →🎚️ Marshall songs & tones →🎚️ Gibson Les Paul songs & tones →🎚️ humbucker guitars songs & tones →🎚️ Seymour Duncan pickups songs & tones →

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

Pickups

Neck pickup

Signal chain

Gibson Les Paul Standard (Kris Derrig '59 replica) → Delay (model unknown, likely rack or studio unit) → Marshall 1959 Super Lead (modded by Frank Levi/Glenn Buckley)

Effects

delay, reverb

Amp effects: Delay (digital, 318ms, mix 5) · Reverb (digital, level 4)

Tone character

warm and smooth, rounded highs, lush and reverberant, dark, juicy neck pickup sound, subtle delay trails, soft attack, clean with slight compression, not brittle or harsh, studio ambience, full-bodied

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

straight, slow tempo, soft dynamics · clean distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the November Rain sound.

Difficulty

3/5 · Solo

The clean solo requires intermediate technique, with a focus on expressive bends, smooth legato, and dynamic control to maintain a clean, singing tone.

Worth knowing

No direct source confirms exact amp settings for the CLEAN solo section; settings estimated based on typical Marshall Super Lead clean settings and forum discussions.
All sources agree on Les Paul and Marshall Super Lead, but do not specify if a different amp or guitar was used for clean sections.
Delay and reverb are clearly audible in the clean solo, but no source confirms exact pedal or rack model; Roland SRV-2000 digital reverb/delay was used on the album for ambience.
Pickup choice (neck) is confirmed by multiple forum posts and audio analysis.
Settings are based on cited sources for Slash's clean and edge-of-breakup tones, but may vary from actual studio settings.
Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Slash's 'November Rain' solo tone is saturated but articulate, with strong mids for lead presence, moderate bass to avoid muddiness, and enough treble/presence for clarity. The era and production style favor a Les Paul into a Marshall Silver Jubilee with moderate reverb for space but not excess.

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

🎸 All November Rain guitar tones — every part & section →

🎧 Can you guess the tone?

Recognise famous songs from just the amp dials — a quick 10-round game. Beat your friends. Play free →

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November Rain guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the November Rain guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 4, bass 5.5, mid 8, treble 7, presence 7, reverb 3.5. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

What gear was used for the November Rain tone?

Original gear/effects: Guitar: Gibson Les Paul Standard (Kris Derrig '59 replica) · Amp: Marshall 1959 Super Lead (modded by Frank Levi/Glenn Buckley); delay, reverb.

Can I get the November Rain 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 Guns N' Roses on November Rain — what gear and pedals?

Start with Neck pickup, the amp EQ above (gain 4, bass 5.5, mid 8, treble 7, presence 7, reverb 3.5), and delay, reverb. 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 Guns N' Roses’s guitar tone → · 🎸 more Rock guitar tones → · 🎚️ Marshall Plexi settings → · 🎛️ best rock amp settings → · 🎸 more iconic guitar solos → · 🎚️ Delay tone guide → · 🎯 more compressed tones → · 📖 New to amp settings? What every knob does →

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