GuitarDistortedRiff
Beautiful Day Riff Guitar Tone Settings — U2
U2 · 2000s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Fender Stratocaster (likely 1973, stock single-coil pickups)
Pickups
Fender single-coil (stock, Stratocaster)
Amp
Vox AC30 (vintage, Top Boost circuit, studio recording)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, year 2000. The Edge is confirmed to have used his 1973 Fender Stratocaster and Vox AC30 for the main riff on 'Beautiful Day' in the studio. No evidence of Telecaster or other guitars for this section. Settings are estimated based on typical Edge AC30 usage and genre/era. No evidence of amp-based reverb or modulation; all effects are pedal-based.
Amp Settings
Mids6.5
Bass5.5
Gain4
Reverb1.5
Treble7.5
Presence6
Effects Chain
- Korg SDD-3000 Digital Delay · delay
- Line 6 DL4 Delay Modeler · delay
- TC Electronic Chorus+ (SCF) · chorus
- Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive · overdrive
Fender Stratocaster → Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive → Korg SDD-3000 Digital Delay → Line 6 DL4 Delay Modeler → TC Electronic SCF Chorus+ → Vox AC30
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Tone Character
- bright and chimey
- crisp, articulate attack
- spacious, ambient delay repeats
- modulated shimmer
- tight, focused low end
- dynamic and touch-sensitive
- clean with edge-of-breakup grit
- percussive, rhythmic clarity
- no heavy distortion
- distinct single-coil clarity