Riff Tone

Down by the River

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

Guitarrock1960s

Original Gear

Guitar1953 Gibson Les Paul 'Old Black'

Amp1959 Fender Tweed Deluxe (5E3, modded with 6L6 tubes)

PickupsFirebird mini-humbucker (bridge), P-90 (neck)

Amp Settings

gain7

bass6

mid7

treble6.5

reverb2.5

presence5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1969, 'Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere' sessions. Old Black into Tweed Deluxe, no pedals. Amp settings controlled via 'The Whizzer' mechanical device. All tone from amp, minimal effects. No evidence of additional pedals or effects in the riff section.

Tone Character(10)

highly compressed and saturatedraw and raucous overdrivegritty and bitingdynamic and touch-sensitivewoody midrangeloose low endsinging sustainexplosive attackorganic amp breakupslightly nasal upper mids

Difficulty

The riff is technically straightforward but requires careful dynamic control and timing to achieve the signature amp-driven crunch and sustain. The main challenge is getting the feel and touch right for the amp's response.

Sources

Legends of Tone: Neil Young - zZounds Music Blog Neil Young's guitar rig: from Old Black to his Fender Deluxe | Guitar World Neil Young News: The Making of “Down By The River” by Neil Young & Crazy Horse

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