GuitarCleanRiff80% confidence
Rock With You Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson · 1970s · other
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s model, maple neck, used by session player David Williams)
Pickups
Fender single-coil pickups
Amp
Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus (most likely, based on era/session standards and clean tone requirements)
Pickup Position
Position 4 (neck + middle)
Studio recording, 1979. David Williams played the iconic riff. No evidence of live rig or alternate gear for the riff section. All details pertain to the original studio recording.
Amp Settings
Mids6
Bass5.5
Gain0
Reverb3.5
Treble7
Presence5
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Tone Character
- clean and crisp
- bright and articulate
- tight, percussive rhythm
- warm, glassy Strat tone
- funky and rhythmic
- slightly compressed attack
- subtle chorus shimmer
- studio clarity
- no audible overdrive
- dynamic, responsive to picking
Notes & Caveats
- Gain adjusted to 0 for clean tone
- No direct primary source lists the exact amp or pedal model for the original studio recording; Roland JC-120 is inferred based on era/session standards and the unmistakably clean, chorus-tinged sound.
- No numeric amp settings found; values estimated based on typical JC-120/Strat clean disco/funk settings from late 1970s.
- No pedalboard or effect pedal evidence for the riff section; chorus effect is likely from the amp (JC-120 built-in chorus).
- Pickup selector inferred from typical funk/disco rhythm practice and audible tone.
- If new evidence emerges of a different amp or pedal, settings may need revision.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. The 'Rock With You' riff features a clean but slightly warm, funky guitar tone typical of late 70s LA session work (David Williams), likely using a Fender amp set clean with mids and treble pushed for clarity and snap, moderate bass, and subtle studio reverb for space.