13 Famous Riffs Played on Gibson Guitars
Published on 08 November 2024
Gibson make great ‘riff guitars’. There’s just something about the designs, the curves and the thick, fat tones that make you want to wear one nice and low, and just bash out riffs. Classic rock, doom metal, punk, you name it: Gibsons have that ‘rock’ attitude that lends itself to riffing.
So come with me, fellow riffmongers, and let me count down some of the very best, biggest and baddest riffs played on Gibson guitars!
Street Fighting Man - The Rolling Stones
If ever a riff said ‘attitude’, it’s this chordal bruiser from Rolling Stone Keith Richards. Instantly recognisable, this intro riff was strummed on Keef’s Gibson Hummingbird, before being compressed and distorted by the mixing desk to produce that classic sound. It needs nothing more, and is easily the correct sound for the song. And no, I don’t think Michael ‘Mick’ Jagger would ever be caught fighting in the street either.
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
Popularity would suggest I include Paranoid here, but the Sabbath fan in me knows that it’s far from Iommi’s best riff (we can debate this whenever you want) so let’s go for the dark, satanic title track from their eponymous debut.
It’s all here: the slow dread, the build, the tritone and the storm & rain sound effects. Instant vibe, and that masterful doom is conjured up on Iommi’s 1965 Gibson SG Special. “Whaaat is this I see befoooore me?” A class guitar? I think so!
Immigrant Song - Led Zeppelin
A riff so great that it only needs one note, Immigrant Song is an undeniable banger. I know that guitar fans love the lore that surrounds Led Zep, particularly how the first record (or was it the first two?) were actually recorded with a Telecaster, and not the more Page-ian Les Paul.
It’s all true, but I’m pretty sure Immigrant Song makes use of Page’s ‘Number One’ ‘59 Les Paul Standard. Telecasters cannot summon righteous thunder like this. A short epic about Vikings (I think), Immigrant Song is probably the best use of an F sharp power chord ever.
Walk This Way - Aerosmith
Whether you prefer the original hit or the Run DMC collab, Walk This Way is just one of those timeless classics. Aerosmith’s Joe Perry has the tone, the swagger and the nous to write a riff that sounds complex and simple at the same time. This one was actually played on Perry’s double-cut Les Paul Junior, plugged into an Ampeg V-2 amp.
Johnny B Goode - Chuck Berry
Guitar pioneer Chuck Berry brought rock n roll to the world via a tasty bunch of Gibson ES-355 guitars. A larger than life character, Chuck’s music was as much about his delivery as his note choice, and thankfully, he excelled on both counts. Based on the blues and mixed with a dose of swing, Johnny B Goode is a speedy boogie tune with an intro and riff that basically defined 50s rock. Big influence on both Keith Richards and Michael J Fox, too.
Ziggy Stardust - David Bowie
In the pantheon of great classic rock guitar players, Mick Ronson’s name is not mentioned enough. Easily as influential as the other names on this list, Ronson’s hard-rocking foil to Bowie’s glitter-strewn alien ‘Ziggy’ persona is what theatrical rock was all about. The Spiders from Mars lead guitarist was also an awesome player with a great ear and a tone to die for. Ziggy Stardust is perhaps his best known riff, and whilst it does help to use a ‘half-parked’ wah pedal here, I wouldn’t go as far as shaving off the finish from the top of your Les Paul Custom as Mick did, as great as it looks!
Whole Lotta Rosie - AC/DC
I get sick of always including Back in Black in these types of blogs, so even though it is probably the one that best deserves a place on here, Acka-Dacka are hardly short of great riffs, so let’s go for a different one!
You could argue that this is as much a Gretsch riff as a Gibson one, but the overriding image of AC/DC is - and always will be - that of Angus Young leaping around the stage, dressed in his trademark schoolboy attire and attacking his cherry Gibson SG. We salute this!
More Than a Feeling - Boston
Everyone in the world loves this tune. It’s got everything, from an instantly memorable intro, an enormous chorus, a guitar harmony solo and a stonker of a chunky riff right before said chorus. More Than a Feeling should basically be the blueprint for all rock songs, really. Guitarist/producer/Rockman inventor Tom Sholz belted this one out on his modified Les Paul Goldtop.
Layla - Derek & the Dominos
Layla seems to sum up the entire grandness and decadence of 70s rock in one tune. Famously misattributed to bandleader Eric Clapton, the iconic lead break that you are almost certainly humming in your head right now was written and performed by Allman Brothers guitarist Duane Allman. Duane used his famous Les Paul Goldtop for this one, and that guitar is actually the most expensive Gibson guitar ever sold at auction! Take that, Clapton!
Wonderwall - Oasis
The tune that sold a million acoustic guitars, and the riff that gives all music shop recurring staff nightmares (speaking from personal experience), Wonderwall has long since become part of the national psyche.
Noel has been a pretty good advert for Gibson guitars for most of his career, but I believe the actual guitar used to record Wonderwall may well have been an Epiphone J-200, which of course is an affordable (official) take on Gibson’s SJ-200. There’s a good lesson to take away here about changing the world with a non-expensive guitar, even if Noel plays top-end guitars these days. I’d say he’s mostly earned the right, eh?
All Right Now - Free
Deceptively simple, instantly recognisable and completely timeless, this is one of the riffs every player needs to get under their fingers. Paul Kossoff was the guitarist here, another great 70s guy who maybe doesn’t get enough love these days. I remember one person describing his awesome vibrato as being like ‘an elderly dinner lady carrying a tea tray’, which somehow makes a ton of sense! The ‘59 Les Paul Standard wouldn't have hurt his technique, either!
Kossoff sadly didn’t last long in this world, but he left a grand legacy.
Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne
Was there ever a riff as under-served by the song it was attached to? Crazy Train’s intro riff is cast out of solid gold, but the rest of the tune is a flaccid disappointment compared to it.
Oh well, we still have the mighty riff, played by the immortal Randy Rhoads on his super cool cream Les Paul Custom. It’s obvious: you cannot out-riff a Les Paul.
Money For Nothing - Dire Straits
This is another one that finds its way into loads of these lists, but this time I’m less tempted to swap it out for something else. Why? Basically, because of the inherent heroism involved with the headband-wearing, the musical build-up at the beginning, and a guitar tone that is just PERFECT.
“I want my MTV!”, wailed Sting in the background. Okay Gordon, but I want a ‘59 Les Paul!
Gibson Make the Best Riff Guitars
Riffs written with Gibson guitars seem to be really good. What makes Gibson such a great brand for riffmaking? Apart from their beauty and coolness (which should be obvious to everyone), I reckon it’s at least partly down to the bridge height and neck angle. Gibson guitars curve around you a little bit, where Fenders are straight like surfboards. For some reason, I feel that this moves your body and mind more in the direction of playing riffs: your right hand is sitting on the bridge, raised from the body a little, ready to mute; the chunky, thunderous tones promote more direct note-playing over strumminess, in my opinion, and the way they hang from a strap makes you automatically assume a ‘rock pose’ with your body. Gibson guitars want you to play riffs on them, it’s that straightforward.
I hope you liked my list. There are tons more great riffs played on Gibsons. Go and find them, play them on your Gibson, and feel the power.
Browse our Huge Selection of Gibson Guitars
