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Paint It Black Riff Guitar Tone Settings — The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones · 1960s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
1965 Vox Teardrop Mark VI (Brian Jones, main riff)
Pickups
Vox single-coil pickups
Amp
Fender Twin Reverb (blackface, studio recording)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1966. Brian Jones played the main riff on a Vox Teardrop Mark VI electric guitar through a Fender Twin Reverb. No evidence of pedals or additional effects. No evidence of live/tour gear for this section.
Amp Settings
Mids6.5
Bass5.5
Gain3.5
Reverb2
Treble7
Presence5.5
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Tone Character
- bright and cutting
- jangly and thin
- percussive attack
- minimal sustain
- articulate note separation
- clean, uncompressed
- slightly nasal upper mids
- no audible breakup
- distinct, almost sitar-like timbre
Notes & Caveats
- No direct source lists exact amp knob settings for the studio recording; values estimated based on typical Fender Twin Reverb settings for 1960s clean rock tones.
- No evidence of pedals or effects used on the riff section; all sources and audio confirm a dry, clean tone.
- Guitar model confirmed as Vox Teardrop Mark VI for Brian Jones on the riff; do not confuse with Keith Richards' Telecaster or other guitars used live or on other tracks.
- Pickup choice inferred from the bright, cutting tone and typical usage for this part.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. The 'Paint It Black' riff uses a clean-to-edge-of-breakup tone typical of early British rock, likely from a Vox or similar amp with mids and treble pushed for clarity and bite, moderate bass for balance, and minimal reverb as per 60s production. The tone is bright, forward, and articulate, matching era and genre conventions.