Riff Tone

It's Not You

The Cure

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

GuitarFender Jazzmaster

AmpRoland JC-120 Jazz Chorus

PickupsSingle-coil (Fender Jazzmaster stock pickups)

Amp Settings

gain0

bass6

mid6.5

treble6.5

reverb4.5

presence5

Effects & Signal Chain

flangerBoss Boss BF-2 Flanger

chorusBoss Boss CE-2 Chorus

Notes

Studio recording, late 1970s (Three Imaginary Boys, 1979). No direct evidence for live rig or alternate guitars for this song/section. All evidence points to classic Cure setup: Jazzmaster into JC-120 with Boss modulation pedals.

Tone Character(10)

bright and glassylush and modulatedshimmering chorus/flanger texturearticulate and percussiveopen and airyclean with subtle warmthdistinct stereo spreadslightly compressed attackno audible drive or fuzzclear note separation

Difficulty

The riff requires clean, precise picking and timing to maintain clarity through modulation effects, but does not involve advanced techniques or high speed.

Sources

Robert Smith | Equipboard How To Sound Like The Cure on Guitar – Not –How to Sound Like the Cure on Guitar : r/TheCure - Reddit

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