Riff Tone

Mess Around

Cage the Elephant

Guitarrock2010s+

Original Gear

GuitarFender Telecaster (likely American Standard or similar, single-coil pickups)

AmpFender Hot Rod DeVille

PickupsFender single-coil (Telecaster bridge pickup, likely stock or vintage-style)

Amp Settings

gain6

bass5

mid6

treble6.5

reverb3

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

overdriveFulltone Fulltone OCD

delayElectro-Harmonix Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man

Notes

Studio recording, 2015 (Tell Me I'm Pretty album). GuitarChalk and Premier Guitar both reference Telecasters and Fender Hot Rod DeVille as core to the band's riff tones. Settings are from GuitarChalk, which references studio-appropriate values. Pedalboard details are from Premier Guitar and Fender interviews, but only effects clearly audible in the riff and confirmed for this era are included.

Tone Character(10)

gritty and overdrivenraw, jagged bitemidrange-forwardcrisp attackslight reverb ambienceslapback delay texturedynamic and expressivegarage-rock feeltight and percussivebright but not harsh

Difficulty

The riff is moderately challenging due to its rhythmic drive, dynamic picking, and need for tight control with a crunchy tone, but does not require advanced techniques or fast lead playing.

Sources

Cage the Elephant Amp Settings (gear and tone tips) - Guitar Chalk Rig Rundown: Cage the Elephant - Premier Guitar Cage the Elephant's Brad Shultz & His Fender Gear | Fender

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