Riff Tone

Found a Job

Talking Heads

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

Guitar1970s Fender Stratocaster

AmpFender Twin Reverb (Silverface era, late 1970s)

PickupsFender single-coil pickups

Amp Settings

gain2.5

bass5

mid6.5

treble7.5

reverb2

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

flangerUnknown Flanger pedal (model unknown)

Notes

Studio recording, 1978, 'More Songs About Buildings and Food' album. No evidence of distortion pedals or heavy gain for the riff section. Clean amp tone with possible modulation effect. No evidence of live rig or later gear (e.g., Boss pedals from 'Stop Making Sense') being used on this studio recording.

Tone Character(10)

bright and percussiveangular and rhythmictight, staccato attackclean and glassyslightly abrasivemodulated (flanger effect)funky and trippyarticulate single-coil claritydynamic responseminimal sustain

Difficulty

The riff requires tight, syncopated rhythm playing with precise muting and picking, as well as maintaining clarity through a modulation effect. While not technically advanced, the groove and timing are critical for authenticity.

Sources

David Byrne's gear on 'More Songs About Buildings And Food.'Bi-Daily Song Discussion #23: I'm Not in Love : r/talkingheads Talking Heads Members, Gear & Sound | Equipboard

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