Riff Tone

Big Me

Foo Fighters

Guitarrock1990s

Original Gear

GuitarGibson Explorer (black, likely late '80s or early '90s, as used by Dave Grohl on Foo Fighters' debut album)

AmpVox AC30 (used for clean tones in studio, per tech interview and era-correct studio reports)

PickupsGibson humbuckers (stock, passive, likely 490R/498T or Dirty Fingers depending on year)

Amp Settings

gain2.5

bass5.5

mid6.5

treble7

reverb3

presence5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1994-1995, Foo Fighters debut album. Dave Grohl used the Vox AC30 specifically for clean tones, as confirmed by his guitar tech. The Explorer was his main guitar for the album. No evidence of pedals or effects used for the clean riff section; distortion pedals were reserved for overdubs and heavier parts.

Tone Character(10)

chimey and openbright and articulateslightly compressed attackclear note separationminimal breakupringing, sustained chordsno audible modulationclassic Vox clean shimmertight low endpresent upper mids

Difficulty

The riff uses simple open chords and a basic strumming pattern, with the main challenge being maintaining a consistent clean tone and dynamic control.

Sources

Dave Grohl's Guitar Rig, Gear & Pedalboard | Equipboard Foo Fighters – Foo Fighters - Gear & Equipment Used on the Album | Equipboard Dave Grohl's guitars: the 6-strings behind the Foo Fighters

This tone has been researched 2 times by the community

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