Riff Tone

Black Balloon

The Goo Goo Dolls

Guitarrock1990s

Original Gear

GuitarGibson Les Paul

AmpMarshall JCM800

PickupsHumbucker (likely Gibson 490R/498T or similar, as per Les Paul standard of the era)

Amp Settings

gain5

bass5.5

mid6.5

treble6.5

reverb3

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

overdriveUnknown Overdrive pedal (model unknown)

chorusUnknown Chorus pedal (model unknown)

delayUnknown Delay pedal (model unknown)

Notes

Studio recording, 1998 (Dizzy Up the Girl album). Guitar Chalk and Equipboard both reference Les Paul and JCM800 as the core rig for Goo Goo Dolls' crunchy rhythm tones on this album. No direct studio photo for Black Balloon, but this is the most consistently cited pairing for the riff section.

Tone Character(10)

thick sustaincreamy overdriven tonescrunchy edge for rhythmbalanced low-end warmthslightly boosted mids for fullnessbright and jangly highshigh-end sparkleclean-but-warm texturelayered, emotional soundarticulate attack

Difficulty

The riff requires familiarity with alternate tunings, precise arpeggiated picking, and layering harmonics, making it moderately challenging for intermediate players.

Sources

Goo Goo Dolls Amp Settings and Tone Tips - Guitar Chalk John Rzeznik, Goo Goo Dolls Guitarist Gear | Equipboard

Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear

Create Free Account