Riff Tone

State of Love and Trust

Pearl Jam

Guitarrock1990s

Original Gear

GuitarGibson Les Paul Standard (Stone Gossard, studio recording)

AmpMarshall JCM800 2203 (studio recording, early 90s)

PickupsGibson humbuckers (stock, likely 490R/498T or similar for early 90s Les Paul Standard)

Amp Settings

gain6.5

bass6

mid7

treble6.5

reverb2

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording for the Singles soundtrack, 1991. Stone Gossard played the main riff on a Gibson Les Paul Standard through a Marshall JCM800. No direct evidence of pedals for the riff section; most sources and covers focus on amp distortion. No evidence of chorus, delay, or modulation in the riff. Settings estimated based on era, genre, and typical Pearl Jam studio setup.

Tone Character(10)

thick and crunchymid-forward and punchytight, percussive attackwarm, harmonically rich distortiondynamic pick responseslightly compressedBritish-style crunchno audible modulationfocused low endarticulate chord definition

Difficulty

The riff requires fast, consistent alternate picking and tight palm muting, with syncopated accents and dynamic control, making it moderately challenging for intermediate players.

Sources

Pearl Jam guitar tone? : r/pearljam How to Play "State Of Love And Trust" by Pearl Jam | Guitar Lesson Pearl Jam "State Of Love and Trust" Guitar Cover - YouTube

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