Easy Lover Guitar Tone Settings — Philip Bailey & Phil Collins
Philip Bailey & Phil Collins · 1980s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Studio recording, 1984. No direct source confirms exact gear for this riff, but Daryl Stuermer is credited as guitarist and is known for using a Stratocaster and Roland JC-120 for clean, chorus-laden tones in the 1980s. No evidence of live rig or alternate guitars for this section.
Amp Settings
Effects Chain
- Chorus pedal (model unknown, likely Boss CE-2 or amp chorus) · chorus
Fender Stratocaster → Chorus pedal (or amp chorus) → Roland JC-120 (with spring reverb)
Tone Matcher
Match This Tone to Your Gear
Tell us your guitar and amp — we’ll calculate the exact settings translated to your specific rig.
7-day free trial · Cancel anytime.
Tone Character
- bright and glassy
- clean and percussive
- snappy attack
- shimmering chorus effect
- tight, funky rhythm
- articulate single notes
- minimal breakup
- crisp high end
- slightly compressed
- distinct stereo width
Playing Technique
- Release chords on the grid · difficulty 3/5Lift fretting pressure immediately after each accent while keeping the fingers on the strings. The clean tone needs precise note length; overlapping shapes soften the syncopation and crowd the keyboards.
- Use a shallow pick stroke · difficulty 2/5Expose only a small tip of the pick and move from the wrist. A short stroke gives the riff its quick front edge without producing the harsh scrape that bright 1980s-style EQ can exaggerate.
- Mute unused strings between accents · difficulty 3/5Let the picking hand rest across lower strings and the fretting hand touch neighboring strings. Compression raises quiet noise, so silence between hits must be played as deliberately as the notes.
- Stay behind the vocal, not behind the beat · difficulty 3/5Lock attacks to the drums while keeping the dynamic level under the singers. Playing late makes the part sluggish; playing louder makes the clean guitar compete with the hook instead of lifting it.
Sources
Tone Story / Why This Tone Works
- Style and eraEasy Lover sits at the polished, high-impact end of 1984 pop rock, where drums, synths, vocals, and guitar all hit with studio precision.
- Daryl Stuermer's roleThe Collins and Genesis guitarist brings clipped accents, clean articulation, and session-player discipline that leaves room for both lead singers.
- Why the riff stays cleanFast attack, controlled bass, light compression, and subtle width preserve the syncopation beside dense drums and keyboards.
- Why it drives the songThe guitar adds rock energy without stealing focus, giving Bailey and Collins a crisp rhythmic platform at full vocal power.
What Fans Are Saying About This Tone?
Fans still wish Bailey and Collins had made an entire album together.
Vote your takeOne popular reaction praised how naturally the two very different voices complement each other.
Vote your takeViewers say the visible fun between the performers makes the musicianship even more convincing.
Vote your takeA listener placed it among the strongest songs to come out of the 1980s.
Vote your takeFans hear the track as a bigger-than-life snapshot of optimistic 1980s pop.
Vote your take