Riff Tone

P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)

Michael Jackson

Guitarother1980s

Original Gear

GuitarValley Arts Custom Pro (Paul Jackson Jr.)

AmpRoland JC-120 Jazz Chorus

PickupsActive single-coil pickups (likely EMG SA or similar, as used by Paul Jackson Jr. in early 1980s)

Amp Settings

gain0

bass5

mid6

treble7

reverb3

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1982/1983. Paul Jackson Jr. played the main riff on the original studio recording. Gear confirmed by interviews and session documentation for Thriller. No evidence of live rig or alternate guitar/amp for this section.

Tone Character(9)

clean and glassybright and articulatetight and percussivesnappy attackminimal breakupfunky, staccato rhythmstudio clarityslight chorus shimmercompressed, even dynamics

Difficulty

The riff requires intermediate-level funk rhythm skills, including tight palm muting, syncopation, and clean, percussive picking to match the studio clarity and groove of the original recording.

Sources

Paul Jackson Jr. Plays PYT Guitar Parts from Michael ... - TikTok Michael Jackson - P.Y.T. (guitar cover with tabs & chords) - YouTube

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