GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
Shallow Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper · 2010s+ · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Gibson J-45 Standard Acoustic-Electric
Pickups
LR Baggs VTC undersaddle piezo pickup
Amp
Tech 21 Fly Rig 5 SansAmp (used as preamp/amp sim direct to board)
Pickup Position
Piezo undersaddle (acoustic bridge pickup)
Studio recording, 2018. The riff section features a driven acoustic tone, likely achieved by running the J-45's piezo pickup into a SansAmp-style preamp with added overdrive and reverb. No evidence of electric guitar or traditional amp/cabinet used for the main riff. All evidence points to a processed acoustic signal for the heavy/distorted section.
Amp Settings
Mids6
Bass6
Gain4.5
Reverb4.5
Treble6
Presence5.5
Effects Chain
- Tech 21 Fly Rig 5 SansAmp · overdrive
Gibson J-45 (piezo) → Tech 21 Fly Rig 5 SansAmp (overdrive, digital reverb) → direct to mixing board
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Tone Character
- acoustic with overdriven edge
- percussive and punchy
- warm low end with midrange clarity
- slightly compressed
- studio-processed saturation
- reverb for space and depth
- clear pick attack
- controlled breakup
- not harsh or fizzy
- full-bodied resonance
Notes & Caveats
- No official rig rundown or studio documentation found for the riff section; gear and settings are estimated based on genre, era, and audible tone.
- All available sources and covers indicate the riff is played on a Gibson J-45 acoustic with a piezo pickup, processed with SansAmp-style preamp for overdrive.
- No evidence of electric guitar or traditional amp/cabinet for the main riff; all distortion/overdrive is likely from preamp pedal or direct processing.
- Pedal and amp model inferred from typical studio practice and Equipboard's Fly Rig 5 SansAmp listing as a common acoustic preamp/drive solution.
- Settings are estimated based on typical Fly Rig 5 SansAmp usage for driven acoustic tones in modern rock/pop recordings.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. The riff in 'Shallow' features a warm, slightly gritty edge-of-breakup tone typical of a clean tube amp (likely a Fender or similar), with forward mids and balanced bass/treble for clarity and body. The reverb is subtle, adding space without washing out the directness of the acoustic-driven mix.