Denim and Leather album cover - Saxon
Guitar tone settings

How to Dial In "Never Surrender" by Saxon - Guitar Tone Settings

The rig

Gear for "Never Surrender"

Suggested rig · the original isn't documented.

The settings

Knob Positions, Pickup, and Tuning

Amp settings

Where to set the knobs for this tone. Each value is on the standard 0–10 amp scale.

Gain7
Bass5.5
Mid6.5
Treble6.5
Presence6
Volume8

On your amp, these numbers won't sound the same.

Get the settings for my amp
Guitar setup

How the artist had their guitar configured for this take.

TuningE♭ Standard(E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭)
Pickup selector
NeckNk+MdMiddleBr+MdBridge
Guitar knobs
Tone8
Volume10
Recording notes

From Denim and Leather (1981). Denim and Leather is the fourth studio album by English heavy metal band Saxon released in 1981. No source we found ties a guitar or amp to this recording, so a Gibson SG Standard through a Marshall 1959SLP Plexi Super Lead Reissue, the rig we use for Saxon's other songs from Denim and Leather, stands in. Set the amp to a driven, high-gain crunch and use the bridge pickup. Published transcriptions put it in E♭ standard (E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭), a half step below standard.

FAQ

Common Questions About the "Never Surrender" Tone

  1. What guitar did Saxon use on "Never Surrender"?

    The guitar on "Never Surrender" (released 1981) isn't documented; the Gibson SG Standard above gets the sound. Pickup selector: bridge pickup on the guitar. The track is in E♭ Standard (E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭), so retune before you dial anything in.

  2. What amp settings does "Never Surrender" need?

    Settings for this sound: Gain 7, Bass 5.5, Mid 6.5, Treble 6.5, Presence 6, Volume 8. Each value is on the standard 0–10 amp scale; match them on your amp first, then nudge to taste. ToneMirror can translate these positions for whatever amp you actually own.

  3. Can I play "Never Surrender" without the original gear?

    Yes. ToneMirror takes the settings above and adapts it to your guitar, amp, and pedals - so you can chase the "Never Surrender" tone on a Katana, a Helix, a tube combo, or anything else. The translation accounts for EQ curve, gain structure, and pickup type so the result actually sounds like the record, not just the same knob numbers on different gear.

Related tones

Tone references for "Never Surrender" by Saxon are provided for educational use. ToneMirror is not affiliated with the artists or labels referenced.

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