Riff Tone

Bone Machine (2007 Remaster)

Pixies

Guitarrock1980s

Original Gear

GuitarGibson Les Paul Standard

AmpMarshall JCM800 50-watt head into Marshall 4x12 cab

PickupsHumbucker (stock Gibson Les Paul humbuckers)

Amp Settings

gain6.5

bass6

mid7

treble7

reverb1.5

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

overdriveFulltone Fulltone OCD

wahDOD DOD FX-17 Wah-Volume

boostSwart Swart Atomic Boost OC44

Notes

Studio recording, 1987-1988 (Surfer Rosa sessions). Joey Santiago's main distorted tone for Pixies albums is consistently cited as Les Paul into JCM800. No evidence of alternate guitars or amps for this riff. Pedals used for additional drive and effects. No evidence of live/tour gear differing for this recording.

Tone Character(10)

thick and mid-forwardaggressive and rawtight, percussive attackBritish amp crunchslightly nasal upper midsdynamic and touch-sensitivepunchy and immediatenot overly compressedclassic alternative rock biteresponsive to picking intensity

Difficulty

The riff requires tight, aggressive picking and precise muting to achieve the punchy, percussive sound, but does not involve advanced chord shapes or high-speed runs.

Sources

Rig Rundown: Pixies - Premier Guitar Pixies' Joey Santiago & Paz: Unlikely Music Heroes - Premier Guitar Pixies: Natural Magic | Guitar World

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