Riff Tone

In a Jar

Dinosaur Jr.

Guitarrock1980s

Original Gear

GuitarFender Jazzmaster (likely 1960s, stock or vintage-correct)

AmpMarshall Super Bass (late 1960s, full stack)

PickupsFender Jazzmaster single coils

Amp Settings

gain7

bass6

mid7

treble7

reverb2

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

fuzzElectro-Harmonix Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi (Ram's Head)

Notes

Studio recording, 1987. Gear confirmed for 'You're Living All Over Me' era. J Mascis is known for using multiple amps live, but for the studio recording of 'In a Jar' the main riff tone is widely attributed to the Marshall Super Bass with a Jazzmaster. No evidence of pedalboard use in studio; fuzz/distortion from pedals is likely. No evidence of Fender Twin or Hiwatt being the primary amp for this track's riff.

Tone Character(10)

fuzzy and saturatedopen midrange puncharticulate attackslightly compressed sustaingrainy, vintage fuzz texturenot overly scoopedbright and bitingdynamic responsewall-of-sound rhythmraw and aggressive

Difficulty

The riff requires tight alternate picking and string skipping under a heavy fuzz tone, but the patterns are repetitive and not technically advanced, making it accessible to intermediate players.

Sources

Rig Rundown: Dinosaur Jr.'s J Mascis - Premier Guitar Dinosaur Jr – You're Living All Over Me Calling all Big Muff experts : r/dinosaurjr

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