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Just Like Heaven Riff Guitar Tone Settings — The Cure
The Cure · 1980s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Fender Bass VI
Pickups
Fender single-coil (Bass VI stock pickups)
Amp
Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus
Pickup Position
Neck pickup (Fender Bass VI, single-coil)
Studio recording, 1987. The main riff is played on a Fender Bass VI through a Roland JC-120. There is also a double-tracked 12-string acoustic underneath, but the electric part is the focus for the riff. No evidence of live rig or alternate guitars for this section.
Amp Settings
Mids6
Bass6
Gain0
Reverb4
Treble7
Presence5.5
Effects Chain
- Boss CE-2 Chorus · chorus
- Boss BF-2 Flanger · flanger
Fender Bass VI → Boss CE-2 Chorus → Boss BF-2 Flanger → Roland JC-120 (chorus and digital reverb on amp)
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Tone Character
- bright and shimmery
- lush modulation
- articulate and melodic
- clean and glassy
- chorus-laden
- clear note separation
- jangly attack
- stereo spaciousness
- slightly compressed
- delicate and dreamy
Notes & Caveats
- Gain adjusted to 0 for clean tone
- No official studio knob settings found; amp and pedal settings estimated based on typical JC-120 usage for 1980s Cure recordings and genre conventions.
- Pedal models inferred from era, artist interviews, and audible effects; no direct studio session documentation.
- Some sources mention a double-tracked 12-string acoustic under the riff, but the main electric part is the focus here.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Robert Smith used a Roland Jazz Chorus for 'Just Like Heaven,' resulting in a clean, bright, and chorus-heavy tone with moderate mids and treble for clarity. The amp is set clean with moderate reverb and presence, matching the jangly, shimmering 80s alternative sound.