Riff Tone

Here Comes My Girl

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

GuitarRickenbacker 360/12 (12-string electric)

AmpFender '68 Custom Vibro Champ Reverb

PickupsRickenbacker Hi-Gain single coils

Amp Settings

gain3.5

bass5.5

mid6.5

treble6.5

reverb3

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1979. Gear confirmed by YouTube demo of the song's riff using a Rickenbacker 360/12 and a Fender Vibro Champ Reverb. No evidence of pedals or additional effects in the riff section. Not to be confused with the American Girl setup (Vox AC30, Marshall Plexi, etc.).

Tone Character(10)

jangly and brightopen, ringing chordsarticulate 12-string shimmerslightly overdriven edge-of-breakupclear and present attackchimey, classic Rickenbacker soundmoderate amp reverb for spacetight, focused lowscrisp, sparkling highsdynamic, responsive to picking

Difficulty

The riff requires clean, even picking and chord transitions on a 12-string, but does not involve advanced techniques or fast tempo, making it accessible to intermediate players.

Sources

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Here Comes My Girl - YouTube

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