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Hey Jude Riff Guitar Tone Settings — The Beatles
The Beatles · 1960s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
1962 Gibson J-160E
Pickups
Gibson P-90 single-coil (neck position, under top)
Amp
Direct Input (EMI REDD.47 mic preamp, overdriven)
Pickup Position
Neck pickup (P-90 under top, only pickup on J-160E)
Studio recording, 1968. The main riff section features John Lennon's Gibson J-160E acoustic-electric plugged directly into the EMI REDD.47 preamp for a unique, slightly overdriven, organ-like tone. No traditional guitar amp was used for the main riff; the overdrive comes from the preamp. Flatwound Pyramid Gold strings (.012-.052) likely used.
Amp Settings
Mids7
Bass6
Gain5
Reverb2.5
Treble6.5
Presence5
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Tone Character
- organ-like timbre
- percussive attack
- slightly overdriven
- nasal midrange
- scratchy treble
- smooth and focused
- warm but with edge
- compressed
- not sparkling like Fender amps
- unique direct-in sound
Notes & Caveats
- No traditional amp or pedal settings are available; settings are estimated based on direct-in REDD.47 preamp overdrive and typical Beatles studio practices.
- No evidence of pedals or additional effects for the riff section; all overdrive is from the preamp.
- Settings are inferred from the described tone and era, as no numeric values are published for the REDD.47 preamp.
- Flatwound strings and pickup type contribute significantly to the tone.
- Some sources discuss Revolution (B-side), but the main riff of Hey Jude is confirmed as J-160E direct-in.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. The 'Hey Jude' riff section features a warm, slightly driven British rock tone typical of late-60s Beatles recordings, likely using a Vox AC30 with edge-of-breakup gain, strong mids, and moderate bass/treble. Subtle plate reverb was used in Abbey Road, and the tone is full but not overly bright or scooped.