Solo Tone
Moonlight on the River
Mac DeMarco
Guitarother2010s+
Original Gear
GuitarFender Squier Stratocaster (Japanese, 1970s, modded bridge pickup but likely neck or middle used for solo)
AmpFender Vibro Champ (studio recording, mic'd and run into Roland KC-550 keyboard amp as monitor)
PickupsSingle-coil (stock Squier/Fender Japan, 1970s)
Amp Settings
gain4
bass5.5
mid6.5
treble6
reverb7
presence5.5
Effects & Signal Chain
chorusBoss Boss CE-2 Chorus (or CE-3/CE-5, model varies by era)
vibratoBoss Boss VB-2 Vibrato (or TC Electronic Shaker Vibrato, model varies by era)
delayMXR MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay
reverbElectro-Harmonix Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail Reverb
boostMXR MXR Micro Amp
Notes
Studio recording, 2017 (This Old Dog sessions). Mac DeMarco is confirmed to use the Vibro Champ for recording, mic'd and run into a Roland KC-550 for monitoring. Effects are mostly pedals, not amp-based. Pickup likely neck or middle for solo. No evidence of live rig for this part.
Tone Character(10)
lush and modulatedpsychedelic and dreamywarm and smoothslightly overdriven cleanambient and washyswirling modulationlo-fi analog warmthclear single-coil articulationsoft attackatmospheric solo texture
Difficulty
The solo is intermediate due to its expressive use of modulation/delay, requiring careful control of phrasing and effect timing, but does not involve advanced technical playing or speed.
Sources
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Create Free AccountGuitarother2010s+
Original Gear
GuitarFender Squier Stratocaster (Japanese, 1970s, modded bridge pickup but likely neck or middle used for solo)
AmpFender Vibro Champ (studio recording, mic'd and run into Roland KC-550 keyboard amp as monitor)
PickupsSingle-coil (stock Squier/Fender Japan, 1970s)
Amp Settings
gain4
bass5.5
mid6.5
treble6
reverb7
presence5.5
Effects & Signal Chain
chorusBoss Boss CE-2 Chorus (or CE-3/CE-5, model varies by era)
vibratoBoss Boss VB-2 Vibrato (or TC Electronic Shaker Vibrato, model varies by era)
delayMXR MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay
reverbElectro-Harmonix Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail Reverb
boostMXR MXR Micro Amp
Notes
Studio recording, 2017 (This Old Dog sessions). Mac DeMarco is confirmed to use the Vibro Champ for recording, mic'd and run into a Roland KC-550 for monitoring. Effects are mostly pedals, not amp-based. Pickup likely neck or middle for solo. No evidence of live rig for this part.
Tone Character(10)
lush and modulatedpsychedelic and dreamywarm and smoothslightly overdriven cleanambient and washyswirling modulationlo-fi analog warmthclear single-coil articulationsoft attackatmospheric solo texture
Difficulty
The solo is intermediate due to its expressive use of modulation/delay, requiring careful control of phrasing and effect timing, but does not involve advanced technical playing or speed.
Moonlight on the River settings for your amp
Exact settings ToneAdapt players use on these amps.
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