What guitar did Kevin Shields use on Only Shallow?

Kevin Shields used a Fender Jazzmaster on "Only Shallow." The Jazzmaster's unique pickup system and vibrato were essential to achieving his signature shoegaze sound.

How to get My Bloody Valentine's guitar tone?

The core setup is a Fender Jazzmaster through a Vox AC30 amp with heavy effects processing. Key pedals include a ProCo RAT for distortion, DigiTech Whammy for pitch shifting, and most importantly, a Yamaha SPX90 set to reverse reverb for the swirling texture.

What is the Yamaha SPX90 reverse reverb setting?

The SPX90's reverse reverb creates a backwards wash effect where the reverb builds up to each note rather than trailing after it. This creates the characteristic swirling, ethereal quality that defines the My Bloody Valentine sound.

What amp did My Bloody Valentine use on Loveless?

My Bloody Valentine used Vox AC30 amplifiers throughout the Loveless album, including on "Only Shallow." The AC30's EL84 tubes provide the chimey overdrive that's essential to their wall-of-sound approach.

How many guitar layers are on Only Shallow?

While the exact number hasn't been confirmed in interviews, "Only Shallow" features multiple layered guitar tracks with varying effects settings to create the dense wall of sound. This layering technique was central to My Bloody Valentine's recording approach.

lead guitar from "only shallow" by my bloody valentine

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Tone Profile

The lead guitar sound is characterized by its heavily distorted, swirling, and almost overwhelming shoegaze texture. It's a wall of sound created by layers of effects and feedback.

Shop This Rig

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Fender Jazzmaster(instrument)
Vox AC30(amp)
Shure SM57(microphone)
Yamaha SPX90(processing)
DigiTech Whammy(processing)
ProCo RAT(processing)

The Story

Kevin Shields' lead guitar sound on "Only Shallow" was built around a Fender Jazzmaster through a Vox AC30 amp, heavily processed with a chain of effects including a ProCo RAT distortion, DigiTech Whammy pitch shifter, and crucially, a Yamaha SPX90's reverse reverb setting. The track was recorded at Creative Music Services with engineer Anjali Dutt and producer Alan Moulder. Multiple guitar layers were recorded and mixed to create the dense, swirling wall of sound that became a defining characteristic of shoegaze.

Production Credits

Producer: Alan Moulder

Engineer: Anjali Dutt

Recorded at: Creative Music Services

Signal Chain

Instrument: Fender JazzmasterShop on Reverb

Amp: Vox AC30Shop on Reverb

Microphone: Shure SM57Shop on Reverb

Processing: Yamaha SPX90Shop on Reverb, DigiTech WhammyShop on Reverb, ProCo RATShop on Reverb

Recreation Tips

Start with a Fender Jazzmaster into a Vox AC30 (or a similar amp).
Experiment with distortion pedals like the ProCo RAT to get a thick, fuzzy tone.
Use a Yamaha SPX90 or a similar multi-effects unit with a reverse reverb setting.
Layer multiple guitar tracks with slight variations in the effects settings to create a wall of sound.
Experiment with a DigiTech Whammy to shift the pitch of the guitar up or down to create unique textures.

Original Gear

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Substitutions & Recommendations

Squier Classic Vibe '60s JazzmasterShop on Reverb$400-$450

Alternative to: Fender Jazzmaster

Provides the essential Jazzmaster pickup tone and vibrato system that Shields relied on, at a budget-friendly price point

Vox AC30C2Shop on Reverb$1400-$1600

Alternative to: Vox AC30

The same amp model Shields used, delivering the chimey EL84 tube overdrive essential to the MBV sound

ProCo RAT 2Shop on Reverb$70-$90

Alternative to: ProCo RAT

Current production version of the exact distortion pedal used on the recording, providing the aggressive fuzz character

DigiTech Whammy 5Shop on Reverb$200-$250

Alternative to: DigiTech Whammy

Modern version of the pitch shifter Shields used for creating pitch-bent textures and harmonies

Strymon FlintShop on Reverb$300-$350

Alternative to: Yamaha SPX90 Reverse Reverb

Provides high-quality reverse reverb that captures the swirling, backwards wash effect central to the tone

FabFilter Pro-RPlugin Boutique$200-$250

Alternative to: Yamaha SPX90

Offers precise reverse reverb control for recreating the SPX90's signature effect in digital recordings

Sources

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lead guitar from “only shallow” by my bloody valentine | ToneDB