Riff Tone

When I Come Around

Green Day

Guitarpunk1990s

Original Gear

GuitarFender Stratocaster 'Blue' (Fernandes Strat-style, Seymour Duncan JB in bridge, Bill Lawrence L-500XL in neck, DiMarzio Super Distortion in middle, but bridge pickup used for riff)

AmpMarshall JCM800 2203 (modded, 'Dookie' mod, studio recording)

PickupsSeymour Duncan JB (bridge humbucker, likely used for riff)

Amp Settings

gain7

bass5.5

mid7

treble7.5

reverb0.5

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1993-1994 (Dookie sessions). Billie Joe Armstrong used a Fernandes Strat-style guitar with a Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge into a Marshall JCM800 2203 head with a custom 'Dookie' mod. No evidence of pedals or effects used for the main riff section; distortion is from the amp. Settings are based on sourced and era-typical values for this setup.

Tone Character(10)

tight and punchymid-heavy British cruncharticulate attackclear note separationslight compressionpercussive palm mutingfull-bodied power chord soundbright and aggressiveminimal ambiencefocused low end

Difficulty

The riff is based on straightforward power chords with tight palm muting and a steady rhythm, making it accessible for most players with basic technique.

Sources

Green Day guitar amp settings? : r/greenday - Reddit GUITARISTS ATTENTION* How to get the Perfect Green Day tone Green Day – Dookie - Gear & Equipment Used on the Album | Equipboard The Definitive Tone Guide : r/greenday - Reddit

This tone has been researched 21 times by the community

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