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rhythm guitar from “love will tear us apart” by joy division | ToneDB

love will tear us apart

joy division

rhythm guitar

AI generatedv1.0

Tone Profile

The rhythm guitar has a clean and slightly chorus-y tone with a bit of jangle, providing a melancholic and driving backdrop to the song. It's bright but not harsh, with a clear attack and controlled sustain, fitting the new wave/post-punk aesthetic.

Gear

Shergold Marathoninstrument
Reverb$1084Sweetwater
HH Electronics IC100Samp
ReverbSweetwater
MXR Pitch Transposerprocessing
Reverb$945Sweetwater

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The Story

Bernard Sumner's rhythm guitar sound on "Love Will Tear Us Apart" was recorded at Strawberry Studios with producer Martin Hannett. The signal chain consisted of a Shergold Marathon guitar running through an HH Electronics IC100S amplifier, with an MXR Pitch Transposer providing the subtle chorus effect rather than a traditional chorus pedal. This setup created the song's distinctive clean, jangly tone that became a hallmark of Joy Division's sound.

Production Credits

Producer: Martin Hannett

Engineer: Unknown

Recorded at: Strawberry Studios, Stockport

Signal Chain

Instrument: Shergold Marathon

Amp: HH Electronics IC100S

Processing: MXR Pitch Transposer

Recreation Tips

  • Start with a guitar that has bright single-coil pickups. If you don't have access to a Shergold, a Fender Telecaster or similar guitar can work.
  • Use a clean amp setting with minimal gain. The HH IC100S is known for its clean headroom.
  • Emulate the chorus effect using an MXR Pitch Transposer, or similar chorus/pitch-shifting pedal with a subtle setting.
  • Adjust EQ to brighten the tone without making it harsh. Slight compression can help even out the dynamics.

Original Gear

  • Shergold Marathon(guitar)
  • HH Electronics IC100S(amp)
  • MXR Pitch Transposer(pedal)

Substitutions & Recommendations

Fender Player Telecaster$650-$750

Alternative to: Shergold Marathon

Bright single-coil pickups provide the jangly attack and clarity needed for this clean post-punk tone

ReverbSweetwater
Fender Twin Reverb$1200-$1500

Alternative to: HH Electronics IC100S

Clean headroom and uncolored tone similar to the HH IC100S's clean character

ReverbSweetwater
Boss CE-2W Waza Craft Chorus$150-$180

Alternative to: MXR Pitch Transposer chorus effect

Provides subtle vintage-style chorus that mimics the pitch transposer's modulation effect

ReverbSweetwater
Eventide MicroPitch$200-$250

Alternative to: MXR Pitch Transposer

Modern pitch shifter that can recreate the unique modulation characteristics of the original MXR unit

ReverbSweetwater
Neural DSP Archetype Plini$100-$120

Alternative to: Full signal chain

Includes clean amp models and chorus effects that can nail this jangly new wave guitar sound

ReverbSweetwater

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

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