GuitarDistortedRiff
Hey Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Pixies
Pixies · 1980s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely late 70s/early 80s, humbuckers)
Pickups
Gibson humbuckers (stock or period-correct for Les Paul Standard)
Amp
Marshall JCM800 50-watt head
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1988 (Surfer Rosa sessions). Joey Santiago used his Les Paul through a Marshall JCM800 for dirty tones on Pixies albums. No evidence of alternate guitars or amps for this song's riff section. Vibrolux was used for clean tones, not for the main riff. All pedal and amp info is for studio use on this recording, not live.
Amp Settings
Mids7
Bass6
Gain5.5
Reverb2
Treble6.5
Presence5.5
Effects Chain
- Fulltone OCD · overdrive
Gibson Les Paul Standard → Fulltone OCD → Marshall JCM800 50-watt head (with light spring reverb)
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Tone Character
- crunchy and vintage
- mid-forward and warm
- dynamic and touch-sensitive
- articulate attack
- open and uncompressed
- slightly saturated, not fuzzy
- British-voiced amp character
- percussive and rhythmic
- not overly bright or scooped
- retains note clarity
Sources
Tone Story / Why This Tone Works
studio