Riff Tone
Desperately Wanting
Better Than Ezra
Guitarrock1990s
Original Gear
GuitarGibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1990s, as used by Kevin Griffin in this era)
AmpMarshall JCM900 (typical for 1990s alternative rock and consistent with live/studio use for Better Than Ezra in this period)
PickupsHumbucker (Gibson stock, likely 490R/498T or similar)
Amp Settings
gain5.5
bass6
mid7
treble6.5
reverb3
presence6
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Studio recording, 1996. No direct source confirms exact guitar/amp, but Les Paul into Marshall is widely accepted for this era and genre. No evidence of pedal use in riff section; tone is amp-driven. Settings estimated based on genre, era, and amp type.
Tone Character(10)
crunchy and openwarm midrangearticulate attackslight breakupfull-bodied rhythmclear chord definitiondynamic responseno excessive brightnessno scooped midsamp-driven overdrive
Difficulty
The riff section is based on open and barre chords with straightforward strumming and moderate tempo, making it accessible to most players with basic rhythm skills.
Sources
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Create Free AccountGuitarrock1990s
Original Gear
GuitarGibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1990s, as used by Kevin Griffin in this era)
AmpMarshall JCM900 (typical for 1990s alternative rock and consistent with live/studio use for Better Than Ezra in this period)
PickupsHumbucker (Gibson stock, likely 490R/498T or similar)
Amp Settings
gain5.5
bass6
mid7
treble6.5
reverb3
presence6
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Studio recording, 1996. No direct source confirms exact guitar/amp, but Les Paul into Marshall is widely accepted for this era and genre. No evidence of pedal use in riff section; tone is amp-driven. Settings estimated based on genre, era, and amp type.
Tone Character(10)
crunchy and openwarm midrangearticulate attackslight breakupfull-bodied rhythmclear chord definitiondynamic responseno excessive brightnessno scooped midsamp-driven overdrive
Difficulty
The riff section is based on open and barre chords with straightforward strumming and moderate tempo, making it accessible to most players with basic rhythm skills.