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Stray Cats - Rock This Town Pt.1 - Intro & Verse - Guitar Lesson

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Stray Cats - Rock This Town Pt.1 - Intro & Verse - Guitar Lesson

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Stray Cats - Rock This Town Pt.1 - Intro & Verse guitar lesson video
Guitar 365
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Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
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Stray Cats Rock E major
Capo Advisor 0 E major · Original key

Rock This Town Pt.1 - Intro & Verse

"Rock This Town" is a classic rockabilly track by the Stray Cats, a band that brought the raw, vintage sound of 1950s rock and roll back into the mainstream. The intro and verse section showcases the band's signature blend of driving rhythm and twangy lead guitar work. For electric guitar players, it offers an excellent entry point into rockabilly techniques, including slap-back picking, double stops, and the kind of energetic chord work that defines the genre.

  • The Stray Cats were known for using hollow-body and semi-hollow electric guitars to achieve their authentic rockabilly tone.
  • Rockabilly rhythm guitar relies heavily on muted string work and boom-chicka patterns, both present in this track's verse section.
  • Learning the intro of this song is a practical way to study how rockabilly guitarists build tension before launching into a full verse groove.
Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

Setzer uses Marshall JCM800s on later recordings for a dirtier, more aggressive tone than his vintage Fender Bassmans, pushing the amp into controllable breakup for harder rockabilly edges while maintaining dynamic pick sensitivity.

Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9
Pedal

Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9

The TS9 serves as Setzer's occasional solo boost, adding controlled overdrive that stacks naturally with the Gretsch's TV Jones pickups for punchy lead tones without losing the snappy high-end clarity essential to rockabilly.

MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay
Pedal

MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay

This analog delay recreates Setzer's signature slapback tone, delivering the classic 120-140ms repeat at 40-50% mix that gives Stray Cats records their vintage ambiance while preserving the natural hollowbody resonance.

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