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Slow Dancing in a Burning Room Guitar Tone Settings — John Mayer
John Mayer · 2000s · blues
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Fender Stratocaster (John Mayer Signature or 1964 Stratocaster, likely with Big Dipper pickups)
Pickups
Fender Big Dipper single-coil (custom for John Mayer Signature Stratocaster)
Amp
Fender Deluxe Reverb (Blackface, vintage or reissue)
Pickup Position
Neck pickup
Studio recording, Continuum album (2006). Main riff/clean section tracked with a single Fender Deluxe Reverb close-miked; no evidence of Two-Rock or other amps for the clean riff. No pedal evidence for clean section, only amp and guitar. Pickup and amp choices confirmed by Sweetwater and multiple interviews. Settings estimated based on typical Blackface Deluxe Reverb clean tones for Mayer's style.
Amp Settings
Mids6.5
Bass6.5
Gain3
Reverb4.5
Treble6
Presence5.5
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Tone Character
- warm and smooth
- glassy and articulate
- touch-sensitive
- slightly compressed
- dynamic and expressive
- mild amp breakup at high picking intensity
- percussive attack
- clear note separation
- rounded highs
- full-bodied lows
Notes & Caveats
- No direct numeric amp settings found in sources; settings estimated based on typical Fender Deluxe Reverb clean tones for blues/rock and Mayer's known preferences.
- No explicit pedal or effect evidence for the clean riff section; all sources and isolated tracks indicate pure amp/guitar tone.
- Some sources mention Two-Rock amps for Mayer live or on other tracks, but Sweetwater and most studio references confirm Fender Deluxe Reverb for the clean riff on this recording.
- Pickup model inferred from Mayer's known use of Big Dipper pickups in this era; exact Stratocaster year/model not always specified in studio notes.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Mayer's tone on this track is warm, mid-forward, and just at the edge of breakup, typical of a Two-Rock or Fender amp with single coils. The bass is full, mids are prominent for vocal-like sustain, treble and presence are kept in check to avoid harshness, and reverb is set for a lush, roomy blues feel.