Riff Tone

Try (Live at the House of Blues, Chicago, IL, 09/22/05)

John Mayer Trio

Guitarblues2000s

Original Gear

Guitar2005 Fender Custom Shop 'Try' Stratocaster

AmpDumble Overdrive Reverb (used live, blended with Fender Dual Showman)

PickupsFender Custom Shop single-coil pickups (John Mayer Signature spec, likely 'Big Dipper')

Amp Settings

gain4.5

bass7

mid7

treble6

reverb3.5

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

overdriveIbanez Ibanez TS10 Tube Screamer (or similar overdrive)

overdriveKlon Klon Centaur (possible, but not confirmed for this exact performance)

Notes

Live performance, House of Blues, Chicago, September 22, 2005. Guitar is a custom Fender Stratocaster built for the Trio era, with reversed headstock. Amp is Dumble Overdrive Reverb, confirmed by multiple sources as Mayer's main live amp for the Trio era, sometimes blended with a Fender Dual Showman. Settings estimated based on genre, amp, and era due to lack of direct numeric data.

Tone Character(10)

edge-of-breakup crunchwarm and roundtouch-sensitivedynamic response to pickingfat, punchy low endsmooth midrangearticulate single-coil clarityslight breakup with strong attackclear note separationnot heavily saturated

Difficulty

The riff requires intermediate blues technique, including syncopated rhythms, ghost notes, and dynamic picking. The tone is touch-sensitive, demanding good control of picking strength and muting for Mayer's signature groove.

Sources

John Mayer's 2005 Fender “Try” Stratocaster – Ground Guitar Keith Urban's main amp is John Mayer's blues trio Dumble | Guitar World John Mayer Trio Settings/Gear Try (Live at the House of Blues, Chicago, Illinois, September 22, 2005)

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