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This Charming Man Solo Guitar Tone Settings — The Smiths
The Smiths · 1980s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
1954 Fender Telecaster
Pickups
Fender single-coil (vintage 1954 Telecaster set)
Amp
Fender Twin Reverb (likely Silverface or Blackface, studio recording)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup (Telecaster, for brightness and articulation)
Studio recording, 1983. Johnny Marr confirmed use of a '54 Telecaster for 'This Charming Man' (not a Rickenbacker). Amp is widely reported as a Fender Twin Reverb, set clean and loud. Solo section is multi-tracked but primary solo lines are Telecaster into Twin Reverb. No evidence of Vox or Marshall on this track. Effects are from pedals, not amp.
Amp Settings
Mids6
Bass5
Gain0
Reverb4
Treble7.5
Presence6
Effects Chain
- Boss CE-2 Chorus · chorus
- Compressor pedal (model unknown, likely Boss CS-2 or MXR Dyna Comp) · compression
1954 Fender Telecaster → Compressor pedal → Boss CE-2 Chorus → Fender Twin Reverb (spring reverb on)
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Tone Character
- bright and jangly
- crystal clear note separation
- articulate and percussive attack
- shimmering chorus effect
- slight spring reverb ambience
- tight, focused low end
- multi-tracked lushness
- fast, intricate picking clarity
- compressed for sustain and evenness
- distinctive 80s clean pop sound
Notes & Caveats
- Gain adjusted to 0 for clean tone
- No direct numeric amp settings found; values estimated based on typical Fender Twin Reverb clean settings for 80s jangle pop and forum consensus.
- Pedal models inferred from Johnny Marr's era-correct pedalboard and audible effects; no studio log with exact pedal order/settings for this solo.
- Multi-tracking and compression are part of the studio sound but not included as pedals.
- No evidence of Vox or Marshall amps on this recording; Fender Twin Reverb is most consistently cited.
- Exact chorus pedal model for the solo is not 100% confirmed, but Boss CE-2/CE-1 is widely reported and the effect is clearly audible.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Johnny Marr used a Fender Twin Reverb (very clean, bright amp) and single-coil guitars for this track, aiming for a jangly, articulate, and chiming tone with pronounced mids and treble, moderate presence, and subtle spring reverb; gain is kept low for pristine clarity, with bass slightly reduced to avoid muddiness.