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NYC — Interpol1 / 2
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NYC Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Interpol

Interpol · 2000s · rock

studio

Original Recording

Guitar
Gibson Les Paul Custom (1986)
Pickups
Gibson humbuckers (stock, likely 490R/498T or similar for era)
Amp
Fender Pro Reverb (Blackface, early 1970s)
Pickup Position
Neck pickup

Studio recording for 'NYC' on 'Turn On The Bright Lights' (2002). Paul Banks used his 1986 Les Paul Custom into a Fender Pro Reverb. Effects were primarily from pedals and rack units, with reverb from an Alesis Microverb rather than the amp's onboard reverb. Settings are estimated based on typical usage and genre, as no direct numeric values are published for this song/section.

Amp Settings

Mids
7
Bass
5.5
Gain
3.5
Reverb
1
Treble
7
Presence
5.5

Effects Chain

  • Boss DD-5 Digital Delay · delay
  • Tube Works Real Tube Overdrive · overdrive
  • Alesis Microverb · reverb

Gibson Les Paul Custom → Tube Works Real Tube Overdrive → Boss DD-5 Digital Delay → Alesis Microverb → Fender Pro Reverb (amp reverb off)

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Tone Character

  • dark and atmospheric
  • slightly gritty clean
  • lush reverb tail
  • expansive and haunting
  • shimmering clarity
  • subtle edge-of-breakup drive
  • warm and woolly low end
  • cutting yet smooth highs
  • moody and introspective
  • open, airy spatial feel

Notes & Caveats

  • ⚠️No direct numeric amp settings for 'NYC' riff found; values estimated based on typical Fender Pro Reverb usage for this genre/era and multiple source descriptions.
  • ⚠️Alesis Microverb was used for reverb in the studio, not the amp's onboard spring reverb.
  • ⚠️Pedal settings are not documented for this specific song; pedal models are confirmed by multiple sources for the album/era.
  • ⚠️Pickup position inferred from tone and typical Interpol usage; not directly stated for 'NYC'.
  • ⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Interpol's 'NYC' riff features a clean-to-edge-of-breakup tone with prominent mids and a slightly glassy top end, typical of Paul Banks' use of Fender amps (often Twin Reverb) and humbucker guitars. The production is early-2000s post-punk revival: dry, mid-forward, and clear, with minimal reverb and no scooping.

Sources