Riff Tone

Crash Into Me

Dave Matthews Band

Guitarrock1990s

Original Gear

GuitarGibson Chet Atkins SST

AmpUnknown (likely direct to board or clean amp, as typical for SST in studio)

PickupsPiezo pickup (under-saddle, stock on Chet Atkins SST)

Amp Settings

gain0

bass5.5

mid6.5

treble6.5

reverb3

presence5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1996. Dave Matthews used the Gibson Chet Atkins SST for the riff section on the original studio version of 'Crash Into Me'. The SST is a solidbody acoustic-electric with a piezo pickup, and is known for its feedback resistance and direct, percussive sound. No evidence of electric guitar or traditional magnetic pickups on the studio riff. No evidence of pedal use or amp coloration; likely recorded direct or through a clean DI/preamp. Live, Dave sometimes used the SST into a clean amp or PA, but this varies by era.

Tone Character(10)

percussive and rhythmicbright and articulatewarm, woody resonancedirect, piezo-driven claritydynamic strummingminimal sustainno overdrive or distortionclear note separationacoustic-like attackslight room ambience

Difficulty

The riff requires advanced right-hand rhythmic technique, unusual chord shapes, and precise muting, making it challenging for most players despite the lack of fast lead lines.

Sources

Did Dave play electric on Crash Into Me in 1999? : r/DMB - Reddit Learn Dave Matthews' 5 Best Riffs - Premier Guitar

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