Riff Tone

When the Sun Hits

Slowdive

Guitarother1990s

Original Gear

GuitarFender American Standard Telecaster

AmpYamaha FX500 multi-effects unit into clean amp (exact amp model unknown, likely solid-state or clean tube amp typical for shoegaze studio work)

PickupsFender single-coil (stock Telecaster pickups, likely 1990s spec)

Amp Settings

gain5.5

bass6.5

mid6

treble6.5

reverb7.5

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

modulationYamaha Yamaha FX500 Multi-Effects Processor (Soft Focus patch)

Notes

Studio recording, 1993-1994, Souvlaki album sessions. Neil Halstead is confirmed to have used a Fender Telecaster on Souvlaki. The FX500 multi-effects unit is widely cited as the core of the Slowdive shoegaze sound, especially for the distorted/dreamy riff sections. No direct evidence of the exact amp model used in the studio, but the FX500 was the primary tone shaper.

Tone Character(10)

lush and saturateddreamy and ambientmodulated reverb-heavysmooth sustainethereal washchorus-like shimmerwide stereo imagesoft attacknot harsh or fizzyenveloping, not percussive

Difficulty

The riff is not technically difficult in terms of speed or complex fingering, but requires careful control of dynamics and noise due to the heavy effects and layered sound.

Sources

Slowdive – Souvlaki - Gear & Equipment Used on the Album | Equipboard slowdive lead tone : r/guitarpedals - Reddit Guitar sound from Souvlaki : r/guitarpedals - Reddit CATALINBREAD Soft Focus Reverb

This tone has been researched 5 times by the community

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