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The Cult - Love Removal Machine - Guitar Lesson

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The Cult - Love Removal Machine - Guitar Lesson

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Key E minor
The Cult - Love Removal Machine guitar lesson video
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Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
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AI-selected preset based on genre and era — adjust the knobs to taste.

Roll back the gain slightly and pick near the neck for a warmer, more open crunch.
Electric album cover
Electric
1987 4:19
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The Cult Hard Rock 1987 E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

Love Removal Machine

"Love Removal Machine" is a hard rock track by the British band The Cult, released as the lead single from their 1987 album Electric. The song went through multiple recording stages before reaching its final form, having first appeared in a radio session and then been reworked after their scrapped album Peace. Its driving, blues-influenced main riff makes it a rewarding study in straightforward but powerful electric guitar playing.

  • The main guitar riff has been widely compared to the Rolling Stones' 'Start Me Up,' released in 1981, a useful reference point when learning the part.
  • The song was recorded at least three times across different sessions before its final version appeared on the album Electric.
  • An extended remix was released on a 12" single, giving the guitar parts additional space and variation worth exploring.
Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Billy Duffy's go-to for heavier Cult tracks, delivering warm PAF-style humbucker tones that provide thick midrange crunch when pushed through his Marshall amp gain.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

Duffy's black Les Paul Custom serves as his workhorse for overdriven passages, its stock humbuckers producing that dense, warm saturation essential to The Cult's harder-edged material.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

The foundation of Duffy's signature overdriven tone, with preamp gain pushing natural tube saturation and power-tube compression that defined The Cult's heavier arrangements since the mid-1980s.

Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier
Amp

Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier

Added to Duffy's rig on later tours for thicker, more modern gain textures, allowing The Cult to refresh their heavy tone while maintaining clarity and sustain.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Duffy uses this classic wah for cutting lead accents and psychedelic textures, adding dynamic expression to The Cult's melodic passages and solos.

Boss CE-2 Chorus
Pedal

Boss CE-2 Chorus

Paired with his Roland JC-120's built-in chorus, the CE-2 augments Duffy's signature lush, spacious tone that defines The Cult's atmospheric clean sound across hits like 'She Sells Sanctuary'.

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