Crying guitar tone
Yngwie Malmsteen · Yngwie Malmsteen
Trilogy (1986)
emotive clean-to-lead ballad, violin-like sustain
The rig Yngwie Malmsteen used
Researched from interviews, production write-ups and gear histories — not guessed.
Guitar
Fender Stratocaster (1972, scalloped maple fretboard — 'The Duck')
Amplifier
Marshall 1959 Super Lead 100 'Plexi' (Mark II), Variac-lowered voltage
Cabinet
Marshall 1960A 4x12 (Celestion G12T-75)
Microphone
Shure SM57 (off-axis, near cone edge)
Signal chain
The order the original sound was built in. The exact settings get dialled for your own amp or modeller when you generate the tone.
Get this tone on your rig
Pick your amp or modeller and we’ll build Crying for it — with a preset file you can load, not a list of knob positions.
Why we think this is right
Crying is Yngwie's signature instrumental ballad, in F# minor; it moves from a clean, emotive intro to a soaring vibrato-laden lead. E standard tuning. Same rig with more chorus/reverb on the clean sections and a boosted Plexi for the singing lead (Strat/HS-3 -> DOD 250 -> Marshall 1959 Plexi -> 1960A 4x12). Sources: Chordify/ChordU key data, transcriptions, rig rundowns. Song key: F# minor.
Sources
- 1980s guitar-magazine interviews (Guitar World / Guitar Player)
- Rig rundowns & gear pages (Ground Guitar, Equipboard, Guitar Lobby, Premier Guitar)
- Album liner notes / discography (Discogs, Metal-Archives)
- Reputable transcriptions/tabs (Songsterr, Ultimate-Guitar)