Riff Tone
Major Tom (Coming Home) [Director's Cut]
Peter Schilling
Guitarrock1980s
Original Gear
GuitarUnknown 1970s/1980s Strat-style electric (likely Fender or similar, single-coil pickups, possibly Japanese or German brand)
AmpUnknown solid-state or tube combo (likely Roland Jazz Chorus JC-120 or similar 1980s clean amp, possibly with chorus built-in)
PickupsSingle-coil (exact model unknown, likely stock or similar to Fender single-coil)
Amp Settings
gain4.5
bass6
mid6
treble7
reverb5
presence6
Effects & Signal Chain
chorusUnknown Chorus pedal (model unknown)
Notes
Studio recording, 1982-1983. No direct evidence of exact guitar/amp model for the riff, but the tone is consistent with a Strat-style guitar into a clean, chorus-equipped amp typical of early 1980s German new wave/pop productions. No evidence of live rig or alternate gear for this section.
Tone Character(10)
bright and glassymodulated shimmertight, percussive attackchorus-laden rhythmmedium gain cruncharticulate and rhythmicdistinct stereo spreadnot heavily saturatedsynthetic, new wave feelclear note separation
Difficulty
The riff requires tight, syncopated strumming and careful muting to maintain clarity with the chorus effect, but does not involve advanced techniques or fast passages.
Sources
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Create Free AccountGuitarrock1980s
Original Gear
GuitarUnknown 1970s/1980s Strat-style electric (likely Fender or similar, single-coil pickups, possibly Japanese or German brand)
AmpUnknown solid-state or tube combo (likely Roland Jazz Chorus JC-120 or similar 1980s clean amp, possibly with chorus built-in)
PickupsSingle-coil (exact model unknown, likely stock or similar to Fender single-coil)
Amp Settings
gain4.5
bass6
mid6
treble7
reverb5
presence6
Effects & Signal Chain
chorusUnknown Chorus pedal (model unknown)
Notes
Studio recording, 1982-1983. No direct evidence of exact guitar/amp model for the riff, but the tone is consistent with a Strat-style guitar into a clean, chorus-equipped amp typical of early 1980s German new wave/pop productions. No evidence of live rig or alternate gear for this section.
Tone Character(10)
bright and glassymodulated shimmertight, percussive attackchorus-laden rhythmmedium gain cruncharticulate and rhythmicdistinct stereo spreadnot heavily saturatedsynthetic, new wave feelclear note separation
Difficulty
The riff requires tight, syncopated strumming and careful muting to maintain clarity with the chorus effect, but does not involve advanced techniques or fast passages.