Riff Tone

The Way It Is

The Strokes

Guitarrock2000s

Original Gear

GuitarEpiphone Riviera (Nick Valensi, main riff guitar on 'Is This It' era)

AmpFender Hot Rod DeVille 212

PickupsEpiphone P-94 single-coil-sized humbuckers

Amp Settings

gain6

bass5.5

mid7

treble7

reverb2

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

overdriveVisual Sound Visual Sound Jekyll & Hyde

Notes

Studio recording, 2001. Gear confirmed for 'Is This It' album sessions; no evidence of alternate guitars/amps for this song's riff. No evidence of live rig differences for this section.

Tone Character(10)

crunchy and rawmid-forward punchtight and percussive attackslightly lo-fi edgeminimal ambiencearticulate and definedgarage rock bitewarm yet aggressivefocused upper midsdry, unprocessed feel

Difficulty

The riff requires steady, tight rhythm playing with palm muting and a crunchy attack, but does not involve complex chord shapes or advanced techniques.

Sources

The Strokes – Is This It - Gear & Equipment Used on the Album | Equipboard The Strokes Members, Gear & Sound | Equipboard Strokes Guitar Tone : r/TheStrokes guitar recommendations : r/TheStrokes

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