Solo Tone

The Middle

Jimmy Eat World

Guitarrock2000s

Original Gear

GuitarFender Telecaster Thinline (likely 90s or early 2000s, possibly with Seymour Duncan SP90-3 & SP90-1 pickups)

Amp1979 Marshall JMP Super Lead

PickupsSeymour Duncan Custom Soapbar SP90-3 (bridge), Vintage Soapbar SP90-1 (neck)

Amp Settings

gain0

bass6

mid6.5

treble7

reverb2

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 2001 (Bleed American sessions). Jim Adkins used the Telecaster Thinline with P90s into a Marshall JMP Super Lead for the album. No evidence of Vox or Fender amps for the clean solo section in the studio. Live setups may differ.

Tone Character(10)

bright and articulateclear single-note definitiontight and focused attackminimal breakupslightly compressedpresent upper midsdynamic responseno audible effectsstudio claritycrisp pick attack

Difficulty

The solo is technically straightforward but requires clean, accurate picking and dynamic control to maintain clarity at a fast tempo without effects to mask mistakes.

Sources

Jimmy Eat World Tone? : r/Guitar “I’m not a shredder. I don’t do leads. The solo was figured out on the spot”: Jim Adkins on the making of Jimmy Eat World’s Bleed American – and The Middle’s iconic guitar lead | Guitar World How Jim Adkins nailed his solo on Jimmy Eat World’s The Middle | MusicRadar

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