Riff Tone

In God's Country

Guitarrock1980s

Original Gear

Guitar1983 Fender Stratocaster (Edge's main black Strat, maple neck, stock single-coil pickups)

Amp1964 Vox AC30 Top Boost (silver panel, Celestion Blue speakers)

PickupsFender single-coil (stock 1983 Stratocaster pickups)

Amp Settings

gain5

bass5.5

mid7

treble7.5

reverb2.5

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

delayKorg Korg SDD-3000 Digital Delay

flangerElectro-Harmonix Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress Flanger/Filter Matrix

eqBoss Boss GE-7 Graphic Equalizer

Notes

Studio recording, 1986-1987 (The Joshua Tree sessions). The Edge is known to have used his black Strat and Vox AC30 for the main riff section. No evidence of alternate guitars or amps for this specific part. Delay and modulation effects are a core part of the sound. Settings estimated based on era, genre, and typical Edge rig for this song.

Tone Character(10)

chiming and percussivebright and glassytight, rhythmic delay repeatsmodulated, swirling texturedynamic and touch-sensitivearticulate single-note clarityslightly gritty edge-of-breakupcomplex, layered ambiencepresent midrange cutdistinct stereo delay trails

Difficulty

The riff requires tight, consistent picking and precise timing to sync with the rhythmic delay, as well as control over dynamics and muting to maintain clarity through heavy modulation.

Sources

The Edge's Sphere rig switches tube amps for UAFX pedals | Guitar World The Secrets Behind The Edge's Guitar Tone on U2's "Vertigo" | Guitar World

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