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Motley Crue - Looks That Kill - Guitar Lesson

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Key E minor
Motley Crue - Looks That Kill guitar lesson video
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Amp Settings

Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
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Roll back the gain slightly and pick near the neck for a warmer, more open crunch.
Shout At The Devil album cover
Shout At The Devil
1983 4:08
Listen on Spotify
Motley Crue Hard Rock 1983 E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About Looks That Kill

From the opening riff, "Looks That Kill" announces itself with a chunky, palm-muted E minor groove that sits right at the core of what Mick Mars was doing on the 1983 Motley Crue record "Shout At The Devil". The whole track runs in Eb Standard tuning, so drop your whole guitar a half step before you even think about playing along. At 120 BPM the tempo is comfortable, but the riff demands tight, consistent palm muting and clean string separation, and that is where most players slip up. The pre-chorus and chorus sections shift the attack, so pay attention to how the picking dynamics change between the heavier muted verses and the more open chordal hits. If the riff transitions are giving you trouble, use the Practice Toolbar to loop those bars slowed down until the muscle memory is solid. Hard Rock rhythm playing like this lives and dies on right-hand control, so spend real time on that before worrying about the lead work.

  • The song is played in Eb Standard tuning, so tune every string down a half step to play along correctly.
  • Tight palm muting on the signature E minor riff is the central technique challenge, requiring consistent right-hand pressure throughout the verse.
  • The riff is built around a repeating low-string pattern at 120 BPM, making it a solid exercise for building rhythmic precision and pick attack control.

How to Play Looks That Kill

Tuning: Eb Standard · Key: E minor · Tempo: 120 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 120 BPM to build it up to tempo.

Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Mick Mars used custom Fender Stratocasters with humbucker pickups for specific recordings, providing tonal variety beyond his signature Les Paul thickness. The Strat's brighter character offered alternative textures while maintaining the aggressive humbucker-driven attack essential to Motley Crue's sound.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Mars' primary weapon throughout Motley Crue's career, the Les Paul Standard delivered the thick, sustained rhythm tones and warm PAF-style humbucker attack that define the band's heavy metal foundation. Its stock Gibson electronics and natural resonance let the cranked Marshall amp create the signature crunch without additional processing.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

Mars' most iconic guitar choice, the black and white Les Paul Customs from the late 70s and 80s provided the dense, aggressive tones that powered Motley Crue's biggest hits. The custom model's weight and construction contributed to the sustained, sludgy rhythm guitar sound that became the band's sonic trademark.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

The core of Mick Mars' legendary tone, his heavily modified JCM800 heads with scooped mids and cranked preamp gain created Motley Crue's characteristic thick, saturated crunch. Driven hard with a Les Paul's humbuckers, this combination produced the warm yet aggressive distortion that defined 80s hair metal.

Soldano SLO-100
Amp

Soldano SLO-100

Mars adopted the Soldano SLO-100 in later years for its smoother, more refined high-gain character compared to the Marshall's rawer saturation. The Soldano's tighter response and cleaner articulation suited Motley Crue's evolution while maintaining the band's heavy, sustain-driven aesthetic.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Featured prominently on 'Kickstart My Heart' intro and various solos, Mars' Dunlop Cry Baby wah pedal added dynamic expression to his otherwise amp-driven tone. The wah's sweeping character became an iconic texture in Motley Crue's arsenal of lead guitar effects.

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