Riff Tone
Man In the Mirror
Michael Jackson
Guitarother1980s
Original Gear
GuitarUnknown Strat-style electric guitar (likely Fender Stratocaster or similar, session musician)
AmpUnknown clean amp (likely Fender Twin Reverb or Roland JC-120, based on era/session standards)
PickupsSingle-coil pickups (typical for Strat-style guitars)
Amp Settings
gain0
bass5.5
mid6
treble6.5
reverb3.5
presence5.5
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Studio recording, 1987; no direct evidence of exact guitar/amp model for riff section. Session musicians for Michael Jackson often used Strat-style guitars and clean amps for pop/funk tracks.
Tone Character(10)
bright and cleancrisp and articulatepercussive attacktight and rhythmicminimal sustainclear single-coil presencestudio-polished clarityno audible effectsfunk-inspired compingdynamic response to picking
Difficulty
The riff requires tight, syncopated rhythm playing with clean articulation and dynamic control, but does not involve advanced techniques or fast passages.
Sources
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Create Free AccountGuitarother1980s
Original Gear
GuitarUnknown Strat-style electric guitar (likely Fender Stratocaster or similar, session musician)
AmpUnknown clean amp (likely Fender Twin Reverb or Roland JC-120, based on era/session standards)
PickupsSingle-coil pickups (typical for Strat-style guitars)
Amp Settings
gain0
bass5.5
mid6
treble6.5
reverb3.5
presence5.5
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Studio recording, 1987; no direct evidence of exact guitar/amp model for riff section. Session musicians for Michael Jackson often used Strat-style guitars and clean amps for pop/funk tracks.
Tone Character(10)
bright and cleancrisp and articulatepercussive attacktight and rhythmicminimal sustainclear single-coil presencestudio-polished clarityno audible effectsfunk-inspired compingdynamic response to picking
Difficulty
The riff requires tight, syncopated rhythm playing with clean articulation and dynamic control, but does not involve advanced techniques or fast passages.
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