My all time favourite guitar tone still is Richie's Strat on Made In Japan. The live versions on that album totally eclipsed the studio versions previously recorded. Then there was THAT guitar tone. Clean, powerful, sustaining overdrive.
Just fantastic.
Amazing live recording. So many "live recordings" are straight from the board to tape with no ambience. This sounds like it was recorded by a mike in the 10th row. Absolutely wide open.I 100% agree with this.
Ritchie's tone on this album is probably the best live tone I have heard anyone get out of a Strat and this Strat was absolutely stock - original staggered pole pickups like the CS 69 type Fender items.
I have to admit when I first put CS 69s in a Strat and went via a booster into a Marshall tube amp for the first time in years it really brought back the tones I was getting in the early 80s using a mid 70s Strat and a JMP 50 combo. That Strat had a maple fingerboard and was quite weighty but produced instant "Man On The Silver Mountain Tones" with no additional gear required.
It's always been a toss up between Trower Hendrix and Blackmore as Strat through Marshall players for me but Blackmore's tone has always been my favourite - saw him in '83 with Rainbow and '85 with Purple at Knebworth - superb both times - even with Joe Lynn Turner.
A Marshall Major with an Akai reel to reel deck as a preamp / booster would be nice to have a blast on but things are strained enough with my neighbours as it is - just sold my Peavey 120 Watt tube 4 x 6L6 rack power amp as I can't even switch the damn thing on without complaints !
Long Live Rock And Roll !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!