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Guns N' Roses - My Michelle - Guitar Tab

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Key E minor
Guns N' Roses - My Michelle guitar tab video
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Amp Settings

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.
Appetite For Destruction album cover
Appetite For Destruction
1987 3:40
Listen on Spotify
Guns N' Roses Hard Rock 1987 E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About My Michelle

"My Michelle" is one of the most aggressive tracks on Appetite for Destruction, and it rewards guitarists who can handle raw, high-energy playing in E minor. The opening riff is abrasive and crunchy, built around low-string power chords and a driving rhythm that needs to feel loose but locked in at the same time. The real challenge here is keeping that controlled chaos intact: the rhythm playing has to be tight without sounding stiff, which is harder than it looks. Guns N' Roses layered their guitars with a dirty, saturated tone, so dialing in the right amount of gain on your amp will go a long way toward getting the feel right. The lead work over the verses and solo demands good right-hand pick control, since the phrasing is quick and articulate. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the solo entry point slowed down until the picking hand is clean before you bring the tempo back up.

  • The song is in E minor, so open-position and low-string power chord shapes are central to the main riff throughout.
  • The rhythm guitar parts require a heavily saturated tone with tight palm muting, so getting your gain and muting balance right is key.
  • The solo contains fast legato and picked phrases that are easy to smear at full speed, so practising them in short looped sections is strongly recommended.

How to Play My Michelle

The song moves through: Intro, Break, Verse, Chorus, Bridge, Solo, Outro.

Key: E minor · Tempo: 160 BPM · Difficulty: Medium

The arrangement runs through 7 distinct sections, and the solo is the steepest jump, so isolate it on its own. At 160 bpm it moves fast, so the real test is building picking stamina and keeping every note clean at speed.

Loop the hardest passage and creep the speed up from around 70 percent until it holds at 160 BPM.

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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