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Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others — The Smiths1 / 2
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Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others Guitar Tone Settings

The Smiths · 1980s · rock

studio

Original Recording

Guitar
Rickenbacker 330 6-string
Pickups
Rickenbacker Hi-Gain single coils
Amp
Fender Twin Reverb (likely Silverface, mid-1980s studio recording)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup

Studio recording, 1986. Johnny Marr used his Rickenbacker 330 6-string for the main riff. Fender Twin Reverb amp is strongly indicated by era, genre, and Marr's studio choices. No explicit evidence of other guitars or amps for this section.

Amp Settings

Mids
6.5
Bass
5
Gain
0
Reverb
5
Treble
7.5
Presence
5

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Tone Character

  • shimmering clean
  • bright and articulate
  • chiming, bell-like attack
  • lush, airy top end
  • clear note separation
  • slight compression from amp
  • subtle reverb ambience
  • jangly, open chords
  • dynamic response to picking
  • no audible overdrive

Notes & Caveats

  • ⚠️Gain adjusted to 0 for clean tone
  • ⚠️No explicit amp or pedal settings for this song/section found in sources; amp and settings estimated based on typical Marr studio setup and genre/era.
  • ⚠️No direct evidence of pedal use for the riff section; chorus, flanger, and delay are not audibly present in the main riff.
  • ⚠️Rickenbacker 330 confirmed as main guitar for riff by Equipboard and Smiths Guitar site, but pickup position inferred from tone.
  • ⚠️Amp model inferred from Marr's known studio use and the clean, bright tone on the recording.
  • ⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Johnny Marr's tone on 'Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others' is bright, chimey, and clean with a hint of breakup, typical of his Fender Twin Reverb or Roland JC-120 usage in the mid-80s. The amp is set for clarity and shimmer, with high treble and mids, modest bass, moderate reverb, and low gain to preserve note definition and the song's airy, jangly character.

Sources