Riff Tone

Neon

John Mayer

Guitarblues2000s

Original Gear

GuitarFender Stratocaster (likely early '90s or late '80s, maple neck, as used on Room for Squares sessions)

AmpFender Hot Rod Series (likely Hot Rod Deluxe or Blues Junior, as used in early Mayer studio sessions)

PickupsFender single-coil Strat pickups (stock or vintage-voiced, exact model not confirmed for studio recording)

Amp Settings

gain2

bass5.5

mid6

treble6

reverb3

presence5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, circa 2000-2001 for 'Room for Squares'. Gear confirmed for this era, but exact pickup model and amp variant not explicitly stated for 'Neon' studio version. Novax XR used live, but not confirmed for studio. Settings and effects inferred from genre, era, and typical Mayer clean tones.

Tone Character(10)

bright and articulatepercussive attackwarm, mid-forward cleandynamic and touch-sensitiveminimal reverb for spaceno audible drive/distortionclear note separationsnappy, funky responsefingerstyle clarityslightly scooped lows

Difficulty

The riff requires advanced fingerstyle technique, large hand stretches, and precise rhythmic articulation, making it one of the most technically demanding pop/blues riffs.

Sources

Neural DSP Archetype: John Mayer X review | Guitar World John Mayer's Guitars, Gear & Pedalboard | Equipboard amp settings : r/JohnMayer - Reddit

This tone has been researched 2 times by the community

Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear

Create Free Account