Joe Satriani's Sound
Instrumental rock's greatest melodist, and the teacher behind half the genre.
Smooth high-gain legato with heavy modulation and long delays
The rig
The gear associated with the sound. Each item opens a live Reverb search — vintage examples where they exist, modern equivalents where they don't.
Guitars
- Ibanez JS1000 / JS2400Find on Reverb
- Ibanez JS 'Chrome Boy'Find on Reverb
Amps
- Marshall JVM410HJS signatureFind on Reverb
- Peavey JSXFind on Reverb
- Marshall 6100 (1990s)Find on Reverb
Effects
- Vox SatchuratorFind on Reverb
- Fulltone Ultimate OctaveFind on Reverb
- Boss DS-1Find on Reverb
- DigiTech WhammyFind on Reverb
- BOSS DD delaysFind on Reverb
Pickups
- DiMarzio Mo' Joe and PAF JoeFind on Reverb
Why it sounds like that
Surfing with the Alien
Saturated but midrange-clear high gain, with chorus widening it into stereo without blurring the attack.
Always with Me, Always with You
Clean-to-edge tone with long delay and chorus — the definitive melodic instrumental sound of the late 1980s.
Satch Boogie
Tighter, drier gain for the tapping section so the individual notes remain legible.
Similar sounds
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