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Nobody Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Mac DeMarco
Mac DeMarco · 2010s+ · other
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Fender Stratocaster (exact year/model not specified, but Strat is confirmed as Mac's main guitar for this era and style)
Pickups
Single-coil (Fender Stratocaster stock pickups, likely ceramic or Alnico V based on era)
Amp
Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus
Pickup Position
Neck pickup
Studio recording for 'Nobody' (2019, Here Comes the Cowboy). Gear inferred from Mac's consistent use of Strat and JC-120 in this era, confirmed by Equipboard and interviews. No evidence of alternate guitars/amps for this specific riff section.
Amp Settings
Mids5.5
Bass6
Gain0
Reverb4.5
Treble6
Presence6.5
Effects Chain
- Boss CE-2 Chorus (or Ibanez SC-10 Super Stereo Chorus) · chorus
Fender Stratocaster → Boss CE-2 Chorus → Roland JC-120 (with spring reverb)
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Tone Character
- lush and dreamy
- clean and glassy
- warm and mellow
- slightly lo-fi
- soft attack
- chorus-modulated shimmer
- clear single-coil articulation
- subtle amp reverb
- gentle, relaxed dynamics
- no audible distortion
Notes & Caveats
- Gain adjusted to 0 for clean tone
- No direct studio documentation for 'Nobody' riff section; gear and settings inferred from consistent use in this era and genre.
- Chorus pedal model not explicitly confirmed for this track, but Boss CE-2 and Ibanez SC-10 are both documented as Mac's main chorus pedals for this period.
- Amp settings are estimated based on typical Roland JC-120 usage and forum recommendations for Mac DeMarco's clean tone.
- No explicit pickup selector position found; neck pickup inferred from tone and genre conventions.
- Pedal settings are not directly sourced; chorus effect is clearly audible and always on.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Mac DeMarco’s 'Nobody' riff features a very clean, warm, and rounded tone with a touch of breakup, likely from a solid-state or low-watt tube amp set clean. The mids are slightly forward for warmth, bass is full but not boomy, treble is rolled off for smoothness, and the reverb is prominent, matching his signature dreamy, lo-fi style.