GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
Size of the Moon Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Pinegrove
Pinegrove · 2010s+ · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Fender Stratocaster Electric Guitar
Pickups
Fender single-coil pickups (stock or era-correct Strat pickups)
Amp
Fender Hot Rod Deluxe III
Pickup Position
Position 4 (neck + middle)
Gear confirmed via Equipboard for Pinegrove's Evan Stephens Hall; the Stratocaster and Hot Rod Deluxe III are visible in live sessions and are the most likely setup for the distorted riff section of 'Size of the Moon'. No evidence of alternate guitars or amps for the studio recording. Year of recording: 2016 (Cardinal album).
Amp Settings
Mids6.5
Bass6
Gain4.5
Reverb3.5
Treble6.5
Presence5.5
Effects Chain
- Boss OS-2 OverDrive/Distortion · overdrive
Fender Stratocaster → Boss OS-2 OverDrive/Distortion → Fender Hot Rod Deluxe III (spring reverb on)
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Tone Character
- warm and melodic
- crunchy but not harsh
- slightly gritty
- organic and dynamic
- articulate with clear note separation
- small room ambience
- expressive and vibrant
- not heavily compressed
- touch-sensitive response
- inviting and textured
Notes & Caveats
- No direct studio amp/pedal settings found; amp and pedal models inferred from live and session photos and typical genre/era usage.
- Pedal settings estimated based on standard usage for this genre and amp; no explicit knob values found.
- Pickup position inferred from typical Strat usage for warm, slightly hollow tones in indie/alt rock.
- No evidence of alternate guitars or amps for this specific recording; Taylor 614ce and Eko Ranger VI are used for acoustic parts, not the distorted riff.
- No evidence of modulation or time-based effects (delay, chorus, etc.) in the riff section; only overdrive/distortion is clearly present.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Pinegrove's 'Size of the Moon' riff has a warm, edge-of-breakup tone typical of a clean Fender or similar amp with moderate mids and bass, restrained treble, and subtle reverb. The settings reflect Evan Stephens Hall's preference for articulate, dynamic clean tones with just a touch of breakup and ambience.