Riff Tone

Where Is My Mind?

Pixies

Guitarrock1980s

Original Gear

GuitarGibson Les Paul Standard

AmpMarshall JCM800 50-watt head with Marshall 4x12 cab

PickupsGibson humbuckers (stock, late 1970s/early 1980s Les Paul Standard)

Amp Settings

gain5.5

bass6

mid6.5

treble7

reverb2.5

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

distortionProCo ProCo RAT

Notes

Studio recording, 1987-1988, Surfer Rosa album. Multiple sources confirm Les Paul into Marshall JCM800 for dirty tones. RAT pedal likely used for distortion. No evidence of additional pedals or effects for the main riff section. No evidence of amp effects loop or additional studio effects on the riff.

Tone Character(10)

British crunchmid-forwardclear, defined attackslightly compressedopen and dynamicnot overly saturatedraw and unpolishedfull-bodiedslight edge-of-breakuparticulate single-note clarity

Difficulty

The riff is straightforward and repetitive, with simple slides and single-note lines, making it accessible for beginners but requiring some attention to timing and clarity.

Sources

Rig Rundown: Pixies - Premier Guitar Pixies' Joey Santiago & Paz Lenchantin: Accidental Heroes Does anyone have an idea of what gear joey used on surfer rosa?Pixies: Natural Magic | Guitar World Amp settings for where is my mind : r/Guitar - Reddit

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