Dynamo is Marr writing for himself rather than for a singer, and it shows in the arrangement: interlocking rhythm parts stacked into something that moves like a machine. The tone is tighter and more modern than the Smiths records but the right hand is unmistakable.
What makes the tone. Bright, tight and lightly driven, with the chords damped so the pattern cuts through. Compression is doing real work, and there is chorus or phase on at least one of the layers to keep them separating.
The analogue recipe. A bright guitar - a Jaguar or a Rickenbacker - into a clean amp with a light overdrive, compressor in front, treble up. Layer two takes playing different inversions rather than doubling the same one.
On a Boss GT-100 / GT-1000 / GX-100. Clean or edge-of-breakup model, compressor with a fast attack, light overdrive, treble up and bass cut, plus a subtle phaser on one patch for the second layer. Short plate reverb.
On a Kemper. A clean-to-crunch profile with a compressor stomp. As always with Marr, the sound is 80% the part - get the damping and the pattern right before you touch the profile.
Skip the guesswork. The Soulster Tonebook for fans of Johnny Marr → has the chords, capo positions and dialled-in settings, and the Johnny Marr tone guide → goes deeper into how this player gets there.
Put it on the wall. The "Dynamo" Northern Life print → and the Northern Life t-shirt → carry the same song. Also on the Practice print → and the Studio print →.
Design For Life Guitar Tone: Bradfield's Anthem Tone
Easy Money Guitar Tone: Marr's Pop Single