Riff Tone
I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)
Daryl Hall & John Oates
Guitarother1980s
Original Gear
Guitar1958 Fender Stratocaster
AmpFender Deluxe Reverb (blackface, likely studio version)
PickupsFender single-coil pickups (original 1958 spec)
Amp Settings
gain0
bass5
mid6
treble7
reverb3
presence5
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Studio recording, 1981. John Oates' 1958 Stratocaster confirmed as main guitar for riff. Amp not explicitly confirmed for this song, but Oates is documented using a Fender Deluxe in this era and for Hall & Oates studio work. No evidence of pedal use for the riff section.
Tone Character(10)
clean and percussivebright and articulatesnappy single-coil attacktight, funky rhythmminimal breakupslightly compressedstudio-polished claritydistinct muted notesno audible modulationclassic early '80s pop-funk
Difficulty
The riff requires clean, syncopated rhythm playing with muted strums and ghost notes, but does not involve advanced lead techniques or fast runs.
Sources
Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear
Create Free AccountGuitarother1980s
Original Gear
Guitar1958 Fender Stratocaster
AmpFender Deluxe Reverb (blackface, likely studio version)
PickupsFender single-coil pickups (original 1958 spec)
Amp Settings
gain0
bass5
mid6
treble7
reverb3
presence5
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Studio recording, 1981. John Oates' 1958 Stratocaster confirmed as main guitar for riff. Amp not explicitly confirmed for this song, but Oates is documented using a Fender Deluxe in this era and for Hall & Oates studio work. No evidence of pedal use for the riff section.
Tone Character(10)
clean and percussivebright and articulatesnappy single-coil attacktight, funky rhythmminimal breakupslightly compressedstudio-polished claritydistinct muted notesno audible modulationclassic early '80s pop-funk
Difficulty
The riff requires clean, syncopated rhythm playing with muted strums and ghost notes, but does not involve advanced lead techniques or fast runs.
More Daryl Hall & John Oates tones
- Maneater · riff
- Maneater · riff
- Kiss on My List · solo
- Private Eyes · riff
- Private Eyes · solo
- Sara Smile · riff