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Riff Tone

I Feel Fine

The Beatles

Guitarrock1960s

Original Gear

Guitar1964 Gibson J-160E

Amp1964 Vox AC100 head with 4x12 cabinet (Celestion T1088 speakers, Goodmans Midax horns)

PickupsSingle P-90 neck pickup

Amp Settings

gain2.5

bass6

mid7

treble7.5

reverb1

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1964. John Lennon played the main riff on his Gibson J-160E (electric-acoustic with P-90 neck pickup) into a Vox AC100. No evidence of pedals or outboard effects for the clean riff section. All sources agree this was the core setup for the riff. The part is the iconic clean intro/riff, not the solo or distorted fills.

Tone Character(10)

bright and articulatepercussive attacknasal midrangescratchy trebleclean, clear riffslightly woody acoustic undertoneclassic British Invasion chimetight and focusedminimal breakupdistinctive feedback at intro (not present in riff)

Difficulty

The riff requires tight, syncopated picking and precise muting to achieve the marimba-like attack and clarity. While not technically advanced, the articulation and rhythmic accuracy are challenging for intermediate players.

Sources

The Beatles' guitars & amps: what they played on every album | Guitar World The Beatles "I Feel Fine" Tone | Guitar Forum John Lennon's Guitar Gear, Pedalboard & Amps | Equipboard

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Guitarrock1960s

Original Gear

Guitar1964 Gibson J-160E

Amp1964 Vox AC100 head with 4x12 cabinet (Celestion T1088 speakers, Goodmans Midax horns)

PickupsSingle P-90 neck pickup

Amp Settings

gain2.5

bass6

mid7

treble7.5

reverb1

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Sources

The Beatles' guitars & amps: what they played on every album | Guitar World The Beatles "I Feel Fine" Tone | Guitar Forum John Lennon's Guitar Gear, Pedalboard & Amps | Equipboard

Notes

Studio recording, 1964. John Lennon played the main riff on his Gibson J-160E (electric-acoustic with P-90 neck pickup) into a Vox AC100. No evidence of pedals or outboard effects for the clean riff section. All sources agree this was the core setup for the riff. The part is the iconic clean intro/riff, not the solo or distorted fills.

Tone Character(10)

bright and articulatepercussive attacknasal midrangescratchy trebleclean, clear riffslightly woody acoustic undertoneclassic British Invasion chimetight and focusedminimal breakupdistinctive feedback at intro (not present in riff)

Difficulty

The riff requires tight, syncopated picking and precise muting to achieve the marimba-like attack and clarity. While not technically advanced, the articulation and rhythmic accuracy are challenging for intermediate players.

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