Riff Tone

Best of You

Foo Fighters

Guitarrock2000s

Original Gear

GuitarGibson Trini Lopez ES-335 (Dave Grohl signature or original, semi-hollow, stopbar tailpiece, dot inlays)

AmpVox AC30 Custom (head and 4x12 cab, used for clean tones in studio and live)

PickupsGibson Burstbucker humbuckers (stock in Trini Lopez, likely used in studio)

Amp Settings

gain0

bass5.5

mid6.5

treble6.5

reverb2

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 2005. Clean sections of 'Best of You' are widely attributed to Dave Grohl using his Trini Lopez ES-335 into a Vox AC30 for the clean, chimey verse tone. No evidence of Chris Shiflett or Pat Smear playing the clean riff on the original studio track. Friedman and Marshall amps are used for heavier sections, but the AC30 is confirmed for clean parts. No pedalboard effects confirmed for clean section; reverb likely from amp or studio. Pickup selector likely in middle or neck position for warmth.

Tone Character(10)

chimey and articulateopen and dynamicfull-bodied semi-hollow resonancebright but not harshclear note separationslight amp compressionpercussive strummingstudio-polished claritywarm low endpresent upper mids

Difficulty

The clean riff requires steady, percussive strumming and clear chord articulation, but no advanced techniques or fast playing. The main challenge is maintaining even dynamics and clarity in a band mix.