GuitarCleanRiff
Freaking Out the Neighborhood Guitar Tone Settings — Mac DeMarco
Mac DeMarco · 2010s+ · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Teisco/60s Japanese guitar (exact model uncertain, likely Teisco or similar MIJ, as described by Mac DeMarco and multiple sources)
Pickups
Single coil (vintage Japanese, low output, likely Teisco-style single coils)
Amp
Fender Vibro Champ (silverface, vintage tube combo)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup (typical for Mac's riff tone on this guitar, for extra brightness and attack)
Studio recording, album '2' (2012). Guitar is the heavily modified 60s Japanese guitar Mac used for most of '2'. Amp is confirmed as Fender Vibro Champ. Effects are rack-based, not stompboxes. All info is for the studio recording, not live.
Amp Settings
Mids6
Bass6
Gain3.5
Reverb2.5
Treble7
Presence5.5
Effects Chain
- Alesis Microverb 4 (Preset 44 Flanger) · flanger
60s Japanese guitar (Teisco-type) → Alesis Microverb 4 (Flanger, preset 44) → Fender Vibro Champ
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Tone Character
- bright and glassy
- swirling flanger modulation
- lo-fi, slightly compressed
- clear note separation
- jangly rhythm
- percussive attack
- vintage single coil clarity
- modulated, dreamy texture
- no audible distortion
- slightly scooped mids
Playing Technique
- Keep the wrist loose · difficulty 2/5Use a relaxed down-up motion and let the groove sit slightly behind the beat. The tone feels human because the attack is consistent without sounding mechanically quantized.
- Let the flanger move around the notes · difficulty 2/5Set the modulation wet enough to hear the sweep, then avoid overplaying it. The effect should color the repeated figure while the pick attack remains easy to follow.
- Mute the rests, not the groove · difficulty 2/5Use light palm muting at phrase endings and release it for the main strokes. Choking every note removes the jangly, conversational quality that makes the part work.
- Keep the amp clean and bright · difficulty 2/5Start with low gain, moderate bass, and enough treble for the single-coil attack. If the sound feels small, add modulation depth or room rather than pushing it into distortion.
Sources
Tone Story / Why This Tone Works
- Style and eraThe song comes from Mac DeMarco's 2012 2 era, where lo-fi intimacy and carefully chosen weirdness became part of the musical identity.
- Mac's guitar voiceRelaxed pocket, short percussive strokes, and a lightly woozy modulation make a simple riff sound personal rather than polished by committee.
- Gear evidenceA Vibro Champ-style clean amp and Alesis MicroVerb 4 preset 44 provide the bright, fully-wet flanger movement associated with the recording.
- Why the riff worksThe modulation moves around a clear attack, turning a short hook into a woozy signature without burying the rhythm.
What Fans Are Saying About This Tone?
From YouTube commentsMac DeMarco // "Freaking Out The Neighborhood"CapturedTracks · 53,123 likes on featured comments
This song makes me wish I wasn’t quarantined.
Vote your takei used to be a fan, but after i listened to this masterpiece im a whole air conditioner now
Vote your takeI want a 8 hour loop of the beginning riff just to not lose sanity at work lmao
Vote your take