GuitarDistortedRiff60% confidence
Daughter (Remastered) Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam · 1990s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Fender American Vintage '57 Stratocaster
Pickups
Fender single-coil pickups (vintage-style, likely stock on '57 reissue Strat)
Amp
Marshall JCM800 (studio recording, early 1990s era)
Pickup Position
Position 4 (neck + middle)
Studio recording for 'Daughter' (Vs., 1993); evidence from era-correct interviews and forum posts indicates Mike McCready used a '57 Stratocaster into a Marshall JCM800 for the main riff. No evidence of live rig or later amp models for the original studio recording.
Amp Settings
Mids7
Bass6
Gain4
Reverb2.5
Treble6
Presence5.5
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Tone Character
- clean but slightly gritty
- articulate and percussive
- open and jangly
- warm low end
- clear note separation
- slight breakup on strong strums
- dynamic and touch-sensitive
- minimal compression
- natural amp overdrive
- no heavy distortion
Notes & Caveats
- No direct source gives exact amp knob settings for 'Daughter' studio recording; settings estimated based on typical Marshall JCM800 + Strat setup for early 1990s Pearl Jam.
- Pedal/effect usage for the riff section is not explicitly documented for the studio version; no chorus, delay, or modulation is clearly audible in the riff, so only amp reverb is included.
- Pickup position inferred from typical Strat rhythm tones and audio analysis; not directly confirmed by artist.
- If future evidence surfaces of a different amp or pedal being used on the studio recording, settings may need revision.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. The 'Daughter' riff tone is clean to edge-of-breakup with a warm, mid-forward character typical of Stone Gossard's rhythm work in the early '90s, likely using a Fender Twin or similar amp. The settings reflect a classic rock/alt-rock clean with slight grit, balanced EQ, and subtle room reverb as heard on the remastered mix.