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rhythm guitar from “billie jean” by michael jackson | ToneDB

billie jean

michael jackson

rhythm guitar

AI generatedv1.0

Tone Profile

The rhythm guitar in "Billie Jean" features a clean, funky tone with a slightly percussive attack. It's a quintessential clean 80's funk sound.

Gear

Fender Stratocasterinstrument
ReverbSweetwater
Fender Twin Reverbamp
ReverbSweetwater
Shure SM57microphone
ReverbSweetwater

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The Story

The rhythm guitar on Michael Jackson's 'Billie Jean' was recorded at Westlake Recording Studios with producer Quincy Jones and engineer Bruce Swedien. A Fender Stratocaster was run through a Fender Twin Reverb amp and recorded with a close-mic'd Shure SM57. The clean, percussive tone was enhanced with compression and EQ during mixing to emphasize the funky, rhythmic attack that drives the track.

Production Credits

Producer: Quincy Jones

Engineer: Bruce Swedien

Recorded at: Westlake Recording Studios (Los Angeles)

Signal Chain

Instrument: Fender Stratocaster

Amp: Fender Twin Reverb

Microphone: Shure SM57

Recreation Tips

  • Use a clean amp setting with a Fender Stratocaster for the core tone.
  • Experiment with the guitar's tone knobs to find the sweet spot for funk.
  • Use a compressor to even out the dynamics and add sustain.
  • Apply a slight EQ boost in the high-mid frequencies to enhance the percussive attack.

Original Gear

  • Fender Stratocaster(guitar)
  • Fender Twin Reverb(amp)
  • Shure SM57(mic)

Substitutions & Recommendations

Squier Classic Vibe '70s Stratocaster$400-$450

Alternative to: Fender Stratocaster

Provides authentic single-coil pickups and Strat tone at a budget price, perfect for clean funk tones

ReverbSweetwater
Boss Twin Reverb '65 Deluxe Reverb$149-$199

Alternative to: Fender Twin Reverb

Accurately models the clean headroom and sparkle of vintage Fender amps used on the original recording

ReverbSweetwater
Fender '65 Twin Reverb Reissue$1,399-$1,599

Alternative to: Fender Twin Reverb

Modern reissue of the exact amp model used on the recording, delivering pristine clean tones with ample headroom

ReverbSweetwater
Origin Effects Cali76 Compact Deluxe$329-$379

Alternative to: Studio compression and EQ

Provides studio-quality compression to achieve the punchy, percussive attack essential for this funk tone

ReverbSweetwater
Shure SM57$99-$119

Alternative to: Shure SM57 microphone

The same microphone model used on the original recording, still manufactured and widely available

ReverbSweetwater

Sources

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