Riff Tone

Adam Raised a Cain (Live at the Roxy Theatre, W. Hollywood, CA - July 1978)

Bruce Springsteen

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

GuitarFender Telecaster (likely 1950s/60s, stock single coils)

AmpFender Bassman (tweed, 4x10, late 1950s model, likely original circuit)

PickupsFender single-coil pickups

Amp Settings

gain6

bass6

mid7

treble7

reverb1

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Live performance at the Roxy Theatre, July 1978. Bruce Springsteen was known to use a Fender Telecaster (sometimes a hybrid Esquire/Tele) and a Fender Bassman amp for his most aggressive tones in this era. No evidence of pedal use for this riff section; tone is amp-driven. No evidence of studio trickery or additional effects for this live version.

Tone Character(10)

raw and bitingmid-forward crunchtight and percussivebright upper midsarticulate pick attackslight amp breakupdynamic and loudminimal ambiencefocused and punchyclassic Telecaster twang

Difficulty

The riff requires fast, aggressive picking and precise muting to maintain clarity at high volume, with dynamic control to match the raw energy of the live performance.

Sources

Bruce Springsteen Chords & Tabs for Guitar, Ukulele, Bass, Drums at Ultimate-Guitar

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