lead guitar from “only shallow” by my bloody valentine | ToneDB
only shallow
my bloody valentine
lead guitar
AI generatedv1.0
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.
Gear
- Fender Jazzmasterinstrument
- ReverbSweetwater
- Vox AC30amp
- ReverbSweetwater
- Shure SM57microphone
- ReverbSweetwater
- Yamaha SPX90processing
- Reverb$210Sweetwater
- DigiTech Whammyprocessing
- ReverbSweetwater
- ProCo RATprocessing
- ReverbSweetwater
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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 Jazzmaster
Amp: Vox AC30
Microphone: Shure SM57
Processing: Yamaha SPX90, DigiTech Whammy, ProCo RAT
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
- Fender Jazzmaster(guitar)
- Vox AC30(amp)
- Shure SM57(mic)
- Yamaha SPX90(pedal)
- DigiTech Whammy(pedal)
- ProCo RAT(pedal)
Substitutions & Recommendations
Alternative to: Fender Jazzmaster
Provides the essential Jazzmaster pickup tone and vibrato system that Shields relied on, at a budget-friendly price point
ReverbSweetwaterAlternative to: Vox AC30
The same amp model Shields used, delivering the chimey EL84 tube overdrive essential to the MBV sound
ReverbSweetwaterAlternative to: ProCo RAT
Current production version of the exact distortion pedal used on the recording, providing the aggressive fuzz character
ReverbSweetwaterAlternative to: DigiTech Whammy
Modern version of the pitch shifter Shields used for creating pitch-bent textures and harmonies
ReverbSweetwaterAlternative to: Yamaha SPX90 Reverse Reverb
Provides high-quality reverse reverb that captures the swirling, backwards wash effect central to the tone
ReverbSweetwaterAlternative to: Yamaha SPX90
Offers precise reverse reverb control for recreating the SPX90's signature effect in digital recordings
ReverbSweetwaterFrequently Asked Questions
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