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Last Train Home Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Pat Metheny Group
Pat Metheny Group · 1980s · jazz
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Roland G-303 Guitar Synth Controller
Pickups
Roland G-303 built-in humbuckers (DiMarzio Super Distortion-style)
Amp
Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus
Pickup Position
Neck pickup
Studio recording, 1986. Used for the main riff on 'Last Train Home' by Pat Metheny Group. The G-303 was used to drive the Roland GR-300 synth, but the main riff tone is the clean, chorus-laden sound of the JC-120 with the guitar's magnetic pickups. No evidence of other guitars or amps for this section. All data is for the original studio recording, not live versions.
Amp Settings
Mids6
Bass6
Gain0
Reverb5
Treble6.5
Presence5
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Tone Character
- lush and spacious
- crystal-clear and clean
- shimmering highs
- wide stereo chorus
- soft attack
- smooth sustain
- bell-like clarity
- gentle ambient reverb
- warm lows
- glassy top end
Notes & Caveats
- Gain adjusted to 0 for clean tone
- No direct source lists exact amp or pedal settings; values estimated based on typical Roland JC-120 use for jazz/fusion in the 1980s and the audible tone on the original recording.
- No explicit confirmation of pickup selector, but neck pickup is strongly indicated by the warm, rounded tone.
- No evidence of additional pedals (overdrive, distortion, etc.) used on the riff section; chorus is from the amp.
- If later live versions used different gear, this does not apply—this is for the original 1986 studio recording only.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Metheny's tone on 'Last Train Home' is famously clean, warm, and rounded, with just a hint of breakup and a lush, airy ambience. He typically used a Roland JC-120 or similar solid-state amp with moderate bass and mids, restrained treble, and some onboard chorus/reverb, matching these settings for his signature jazz fusion sound.