GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
say it aint so Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Unknown Artist
Unknown Artist · 1990s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Fender Jaguar
Pickups
Single-coil (Fender Jaguar stock pickups)
Amp
Fender Twin Reverb (Electric Lady's studio amp)
Pickup Position
Neck pickup
Studio recording, 1994, Blue Album session. Guitar and amp confirmed for riff section by Equipboard and Reddit sources. No evidence of live/tour gear or alternate guitars for this section.
Amp Settings
Mids6.5
Bass6
Gain5
Reverb3
Treble6.5
Presence5
Effects Chain
- Wah pedal (cocked, model unknown) · wah
Fender Jaguar → (possible cocked wah) → Fender Twin Reverb (spring reverb on, no other effects)
Tone Matcher
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Tone Character
- glassy clean with slight grit
- bright and articulate
- dynamic and touch-sensitive
- open, ringing chords
- slightly compressed
- full-bodied
- mild breakup on harder strums
- warm low end
- clear note separation
- no audible modulation or time-based effects
Notes & Caveats
- No exact numeric amp settings found; values estimated based on typical Fender Twin settings for 1990s alternative rock and evidence from cited sources.
- Pedal use for riff section is debated; some sources mention Big Muff, but the main riff is widely described as 'ultra clean' or 'edge of breakup' with little to no audible fuzz/distortion.
- A cocked wah is mentioned as possibly used for the clean tone, but this is not universally confirmed.
- No chorus, delay, or modulation effects are audible or cited for the riff section.
- If alternate guitars (Telecaster, SG) were used, they are not confirmed for the studio riff recording—Fender Jaguar is most consistently cited.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. The riff section of 'Say It Ain't So' by Weezer (Rivers Cuomo) features a classic 90s alternative rock crunch: moderate gain for punchy, dynamic chords, with full mids and balanced bass/treble for clarity and warmth. Presence and reverb are kept moderate, matching the era's production and Cuomo's typical Mesa/Marshall amp tones.