Welcome back to Guitardoor.com, where we celebrate the true guitar heroes who were not just players, but co-creators of legendary sounds. Today, we pay tribute to one of the most important, iconic, and brilliant guitarists of the 1970s: the one and only Mick Ronson. As the right-hand man, musical arranger, and lead guitarist for David Bowie during his Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars era, “Ronno” was the Marshall-powered engine that launched glam rock into the stratosphere. He was a complete musical force, a player with the raw power of a rock god and the melodic soul of a true artist.
The Sound of Ziggy Stardust
The sound of David Bowie’s glam rock period was a brilliant and theatrical explosion of art, androgyny, and pure, unadulterated rock and roll, and Mick Ronson was its musical heart. He was the perfect foil for Bowie’s alien-like persona and avant-garde songwriting. Hailing from the tough, working-class city of Hull, Ronson brought a visceral, blues-based power and a swaggering attitude that grounded Bowie’s art-school concepts in raw, undeniable rock. But he was far more than just a gunslinger; he was a classically trained pianist and a brilliant musical arranger, responsible for the stunning string arrangements on tracks like “Life on Mars?”. This combination of raw power and sophisticated musicality made him the ultimate musical partner, the architect of a sound that was both dangerous and beautiful.
Anatomy of a Glam God
The guitar playing of Mick Ronson was a perfect and thrilling paradox. It was simultaneously raw, powerful, and almost violently aggressive, yet also incredibly melodic, composed, and full of a beautiful, soaring grace. He was a player who possessed the rare ability to craft a guitar part that was not just a solo, but an essential, unforgettable hook—a complete musical statement that you could sing along to. His sound was the very definition of 70s rock majesty: huge, majestic, and dripping with attitude. He was the complete package—the look, the riffs, the solos, and the tone—a true star in his own right.
The Melodic Gunslinger: Ronson was a master of the composed, “song within a song” solo. His leads were rarely improvised jams; they were brilliantly crafted melodic pieces full of soaring, vocal-like string bends and a signature fast, wide, and incredibly powerful vibrato. He was a storyteller who could build a solo from a simple melody to a cathartic, emotional climax.
The Riff Master: He was the creator of some of the most iconic and influential riffs in rock history. His riffs were heavy, swaggering, and full of a raw, proto-punk energy that would be a profound influence on countless bands to come.
The ’68 Les Paul Custom: His image and sound are inextricably linked to one of the most famous guitars in rock history: his 1968 Gibson Les Paul Custom. Famously, he sanded the black finish off the top, revealing the natural maple underneath. This “peeled” Les Paul became his Excalibur, the source of his thick, powerful, and endlessly sustaining tone.
The Marshall Roar: Ronson’s legendary tone was the sound of pure, cranked British tube power. He famously plugged his Les Paul into a 200-watt Marshall “Pig” amplifier, often using a Tone Bender fuzz pedal to push it into a glorious, searing saturation. A key part of his sound was also his masterful use of a wah-wah pedal as a tonal filter, cocking it in a certain position to achieve his signature biting, mid-range-heavy sound.
The Essential Stardust
Mick Ronson’s guitar work on David Bowie’s classic albums is the very blueprint for glam rock guitar. To hear his genius in its full glory, these three tracks are absolutely essential.
Ziggy Stardust
This is it. The riff that defined a genre. The song’s opening and main riff is one of the most iconic and instantly recognizable in all of rock. To approach playing it, the key is pure attitude and swagger. It’s not technically difficult, but you must play it with a loose, confident, and powerful attack. The beauty is in its simplicity and its undeniable, timeless coolness.
Moonage Daydream
This track features what many consider to be Mick Ronson’s single greatest guitar solo—a sprawling, epic, and otherworldly masterpiece. It is a true composition, a journey that builds from a simple, bluesy phrase into a chaotic, soaring, and cathartic explosion of sound. The approach is to learn it as a complete piece, mastering the slow, majestic bends and the expressive use of the wah-wah pedal to create the incredible, shifting textures. The long, feedback-drenched outro is pure sonic art.
Suffragette City
A raw, driving, and powerful proto-punk anthem, this song is pure, high-octane Ronson. The main riff is a relentless, driving force of nature. To play it, the key is raw, down-picked aggression. This is not about finesse; it’s about pure, unadulterated power and energy. The short, sharp solo is a perfect burst of rock and roll attitude, proving that a great statement can be made in just a few, perfectly chosen, snarling notes.
In the end, Mick Ronson’s legacy is that of one of rock’s greatest and most iconic guitar heroes. He was far more than just David Bowie’s sideman; he was the co-architect of Ziggy Stardust and the musical engine of the Spiders from Mars. His powerful tone, his melodic genius, and his raw, swaggering style were a profound influence on generations of punk, hard rock, and alternative guitarists. He was the Spider from Hull, a true rock and roll original whose iconic sound will forever be a part of music history.
Cover Photo Credit “Mick Ronson & Howard Helms” by mickeydb is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Who needs a stardust guitar when youve got a sandpaper Les Paul, eh? This article makes it sound like Mick Ronson was some kind of musical wizard, crafting riffs and solos that defined an era with sheer attitude and a 200-watt Marshall roar. Seriously, the description of Suffragette City makes me want to pick up a guitar and unleash some raw, down-picked fury! But lets be real, the idea of a composed, song within a song solo sounds about as easy as playing the main riff to Ziggy Stardust without any swagger – which, honestly, is probably impossible. Either way, Ronsons legacy is undeniable, even if his guitar tone was basically the definition of dripping with attitude and huge. Rock on, even if youre only famous for one riff!