Riff Tone
Mediterranean Sundance
Al Di Meola
Guitarjazz1970s
Original Gear
GuitarOvation 1763 Classical Acoustic-Electric (nylon string)
AmpNone (direct to PA/mixer, mic and/or DI box)
PickupsOvation piezo pickup (bridge, under-saddle)
Amp Settings
gain0
bass3
mid3
treble3.5
reverb0.5
presence3
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Studio recording, 1977, Elegant Gypsy album. The riff section is played on a nylon-string Ovation acoustic, not electric. No amp or pedals used; sound is a blend of direct piezo and microphone. No evidence of effects or electric guitar for the riff section.
Tone Character(10)
bright and articulatepercussive attackwarm, natural acoustic timbrehigh clarity and note separationdynamic fingerstyle responseno distortion or overdrivecrisp transient responserich midrangeclear, singing melody linesno coloration from amp or pedals
Difficulty
The riff section requires expert-level speed, rhythmic complexity, and technical mastery of fingerstyle and picking, making it one of the most challenging acoustic guitar pieces.
Sources
Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear
Create Free AccountGuitarjazz1970s
Original Gear
GuitarOvation 1763 Classical Acoustic-Electric (nylon string)
AmpNone (direct to PA/mixer, mic and/or DI box)
PickupsOvation piezo pickup (bridge, under-saddle)
Amp Settings
gain0
bass3
mid3
treble3.5
reverb0.5
presence3
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Studio recording, 1977, Elegant Gypsy album. The riff section is played on a nylon-string Ovation acoustic, not electric. No amp or pedals used; sound is a blend of direct piezo and microphone. No evidence of effects or electric guitar for the riff section.
Tone Character(10)
bright and articulatepercussive attackwarm, natural acoustic timbrehigh clarity and note separationdynamic fingerstyle responseno distortion or overdrivecrisp transient responserich midrangeclear, singing melody linesno coloration from amp or pedals
Difficulty
The riff section requires expert-level speed, rhythmic complexity, and technical mastery of fingerstyle and picking, making it one of the most challenging acoustic guitar pieces.