Riff Tone

Holiday in Cambodia

Dead Kennedys

Guitarpunk1980s

Original Gear

GuitarLate-1970s Marchis (Japanese) Telecaster copy with humbucking bridge pickup

Amp1964-67 Fender Super Reverb (Vibrato channel, Input 1, Bright On)

PickupsAftermarket humbucker in bridge, Stratocaster single coil in neck

Amp Settings

gain0

bass4.5

mid7.5

treble7.5

reverb0

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

delayMaestro (Echoplex) or Electro-Harmonix Echoplex (original studio), or Electro-Harmonix Memory Toy (modern equivalent)

Notes

Studio recording, 1980. Guitar World and Premier Guitar confirm this exact setup for the original studio recording. Amp was unmodified at time of recording; later modded for live use. Clean riff sections use bridge humbucker. No channel switching or heavy gain. Delay effect is from pedal, not amp.

Tone Character(10)

bright and articulateclear and percussive attacktwangy with strong note definitiondry amp sound (no reverb)slight analog delay for space and grittight low endpronounced midrangesnappy bridge pickup bitedynamic response to pickingslightly lo-fi ambience from analog delay

Difficulty

The riff requires fast, accurate picking and strumming with tight timing and dynamic control to maintain clarity at tempo, making it moderately challenging for intermediate players.

Sources

East Bay Ray’s guitar tone on the Dead Kennedys’ Holiday in Cambodia: secrets behind the sound | Guitar World Dead Kennedys Guitarist East Bay Ray Guitar Gear Rig Rundown - Premier Guitar East Bay Ray | Equipboard

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