Riff Tone
Cherry Chapstick
Yo La Tengo
Guitarrock2000s
Original Gear
GuitarFender Jazzmaster (exact model unknown, likely late-60s/early-70s, as used by Ira Kaplan in this era)
AmpFender Twin Reverb (likely silverface, as commonly used by Yo La Tengo in studio late 90s/early 2000s)
PickupsFender Jazzmaster single-coil pickups
Amp Settings
gain6.5
bass6
mid7
treble7
reverb1.5
presence5.5
Effects & Signal Chain
distortionProCo ProCo Rat Distortion
Notes
Studio recording, year 2000 (from 'And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out'). Guitar and amp inferred from era and artist interviews; no explicit confirmation for this song, but Stratocaster ruled out for this recording by Ira Kaplan. No evidence of tremolo use in riff section.
Tone Character(10)
extremely fuzzy and saturatedmassive wall of distortionheavy feedback and sustainraw and noisychaotic textureaggressive pick attackdense and compressedpronounced midrangeloud and abrasivedistinctive fuzz character
Difficulty
The riff is rhythmically straightforward but requires intermediate skill to control feedback, noise, and maintain clarity with high-gain fuzz at loud volumes.
Sources
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Create Free AccountGuitarrock2000s
Original Gear
GuitarFender Jazzmaster (exact model unknown, likely late-60s/early-70s, as used by Ira Kaplan in this era)
AmpFender Twin Reverb (likely silverface, as commonly used by Yo La Tengo in studio late 90s/early 2000s)
PickupsFender Jazzmaster single-coil pickups
Amp Settings
gain6.5
bass6
mid7
treble7
reverb1.5
presence5.5
Effects & Signal Chain
distortionProCo ProCo Rat Distortion
Notes
Studio recording, year 2000 (from 'And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out'). Guitar and amp inferred from era and artist interviews; no explicit confirmation for this song, but Stratocaster ruled out for this recording by Ira Kaplan. No evidence of tremolo use in riff section.
Tone Character(10)
extremely fuzzy and saturatedmassive wall of distortionheavy feedback and sustainraw and noisychaotic textureaggressive pick attackdense and compressedpronounced midrangeloud and abrasivedistinctive fuzz character
Difficulty
The riff is rhythmically straightforward but requires intermediate skill to control feedback, noise, and maintain clarity with high-gain fuzz at loud volumes.