GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
The Sky Is Crying Guitar Tone Settings
Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble · 1980s · blues
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
1963 Fender Stratocaster ('Number One')
Pickups
Fender single-coil pickups (vintage-style, stock 1963 Stratocaster)
Amp
Fender Vibroverb (Blackface, 1964, 2x10, 40-watt, often with JBL or Oxford speakers)
Pickup Position
Neck pickup
Studio recording, 1984 session (released 1991). SRV's main Stratocaster and Vibroverb amp confirmed for this era and song. TS9 Tube Screamer used as always-on boost. No evidence of other pedals or effects for the riff section.
Amp Settings
Mids7
Bass7
Gain4
Reverb3.5
Treble6.5
Presence5.5
Effects Chain
- Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer · overdrive
Guitar → Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer → Fender Vibroverb (with spring reverb)
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Tone Character
- warm and smooth
- full-bodied neck pickup tone
- singing sustain
- touch-sensitive dynamics
- slightly rolled-off bass
- vocal-like bends
- biting lead attack
- classic Texas blues shuffle feel
- edge-of-breakup crunch
- fat, round single-coil clarity
Notes & Caveats
- No direct numeric amp settings found for this exact session; amp settings estimated based on typical SRV Vibroverb/TS9 studio setup and era.
- No evidence of additional pedals or effects (delay, chorus, etc.) used on the riff section; only TS9 Tube Screamer confirmed.
- Pickup position inferred from tone and standard SRV practice for slow blues; sources confirm neck pickup for 'Sky Is Crying' style.
- Reverb setting estimated based on typical Vibroverb use and audible room sound; not explicitly documented for this track.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. SRV's 'The Sky Is Crying' riff features his signature edge-of-breakup tone with a fat, warm low end, strong mids, and smooth highs, likely from a Fender amp (Super Reverb/Vibroverb) set loud and clean, with moderate spring reverb and moderate presence for clarity without harshness.