Riff Tone

Hocus Pocus

Focus

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

GuitarLate-1960s Gibson Les Paul Custom

Amp1970 Fender SS1000 Super Showman preamp head (Channel 1) with two XFL1000 4x12 power amp/speaker cabinets (Oxford speakers)

PickupsStock Gibson humbuckers

Amp Settings

gain6

bass4.5

mid7

treble8

reverb0.5

presence3

Effects & Signal Chain

boostColorsound Colorsound Power Boost

Notes

Studio recording, 1971 (original album version). Distortion from Colorsound Power Boost pedal, not amp fuzz. Amp run clean, bright switch on. Guitar volume and tone on 10. Bridge pickup used for main riff. Ultra-light .008-.038 strings. No evidence of additional pedals or effects for riff section.

Tone Character(10)

aggressive grit and grindbright and articulatetight and percussiveclear note separationsnappy attackmajor 7 chords ring clearbiting bridge pickup toneminimal compressionno excessive fuzzinessdynamic response to picking

Difficulty

The riff is challenging due to its fast tempo, intricate chord changes, and the need for precise picking and dynamic control. The combination of advanced chord shapes and rapid transitions makes it difficult for most players.

Sources

Jan Akkerman's guitar tone on Hocus Pocus by Focus

This tone has been researched 3 times by the community

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