Riff Tone

Payphone (feat. Wiz Khalifa)

Maroon 5

Guitarrock2010s+

Original Gear

GuitarFender Telecaster (likely American Standard or Deluxe, as used by James Valentine in studio sessions circa 2011-2012)

AmpFender Hot Rod DeVille 212 (studio recording amp for Maroon 5 in this era, known from interviews and session photos)

PickupsFender single-coil (stock Telecaster pickups, likely Alnico V)

Amp Settings

gain4

bass5.5

mid6

treble7

reverb3.5

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 2011-2012. No direct evidence of alternate guitars/amps for the riff section; Telecaster and Fender combo amp are standard for Maroon 5's studio rhythm tones in this period.

Tone Character(10)

bright and articulatetight and percussiveslightly compressedclean with a hint of breakupcrisp attackpresent midssubtle reverb for spaceno audible modulationpop-funk claritydynamic response to picking

Difficulty

The riff requires tight, syncopated rhythm playing with clean articulation and dynamic control, but does not involve advanced techniques or fast passages.

Sources

Finding the Right Pedals for Your Rig - Premier Guitar Advice on tone settings : r/Guitar

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