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Guns N' Roses - Pretty Tied Up - Guitar Solo Tab

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Key E minor
Guns N' Roses - Pretty Tied Up guitar tab video
Steph Le Gratteux
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Classic Rock

Gain6
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Mid7
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Roll back the gain slightly and pick near the neck for a warmer, more open crunch.
Use Your Illusion II album cover
Use Your Illusion II
1991 4:48
Listen on Spotify
Guns N' Roses Hard Rock 1991 E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About Pretty Tied Up

From the opening bars, "Pretty Tied Up" grabs you with a driving, riff-centred groove that sits right in the pocket at 120 BPM. The whole band drops a half-step to Eb Standard, so make sure your tuning is sorted before you start or everything will clash against the recording. The song is built around a repeating E minor riff that leans on palm muting and a loose, slightly swaggering feel rather than rigid precision, so resist the urge to play it too mechanically. Guns N' Roses were recording across two massive Illusion albums at this point, and the rhythm parts here reward players who can lock in with a drummer rather than just blaze through the changes. If the riff-to-chord transitions are tripping you up, set the Practice Toolbar to loop that passage at reduced speed until the muscle memory is solid. The track sits comfortably in the Hard Rock tradition of riff-first songwriting, making it a genuinely useful study in groove and right-hand control.

  • The entire song is played in Eb Standard tuning, a half-step down from concert pitch, so retune before playing along with the recording.
  • Right-hand palm muting is central to the main riff, and controlling how much mute you apply shapes the groove considerably.
  • At 120 BPM the tempo is moderate, but keeping the riff relaxed and behind-the-beat rather than rushed is the real challenge.

How to Play Pretty Tied Up

Tuning: Eb Standard · Key: E minor · Tempo: 110 BPM

It is played in Eb standard, a half step down, so tune down before you start or every position and bend will sit a half step sharp against the recording.

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 110 BPM to build it up to tempo.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Slash's weapon of choice, particularly late-'50s specs with mahogany bodies that deliver the thick, singing tone heard throughout 'Appetite for Destruction.' The Les Paul's weight and sustain complement his cranked Marshall, allowing solos to bloom with harmonic richness.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

Offering a slightly different tonal character with a thinner body profile, the Custom gives Slash an alternative voice while maintaining the Les Paul's core warmth and sustain essential to his signature lead sound.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

The split-channel JCM 800 2205 defines Slash's crunch, delivering natural tube saturation and midrange presence without artificial scooping, crucial for maintaining clarity in heavily driven passages.

Marshall Plexi (1959 Super Lead)
Amp

Marshall Plexi (1959 Super Lead)

Modified 1959 Super Lead amps pushed hard created the iconic raw power and harmonic distortion of 'Appetite for Destruction,' with power tube breakup that shaped GNR's raw, blues-rooted rock sound.

Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro
Pickup

Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro

These lower-output Alnico II humbuckers retain dynamic expressiveness even when the Marshall is cranked, producing a warm, slightly soft attack that makes Slash's tone creamy rather than harsh.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Slash's signature SW-95 wah adds vocal expression to solos like 'Civil War' and 'Estranged,' staying true to his minimalist pedalboard philosophy where tone comes primarily from guitar and amp interaction.

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