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lead guitar from “black” by pearl jam | ToneDB

black

pearl jam

lead guitar

AI generatedv1.0

Tone Profile

The lead guitar tone is melancholic and expressive, with a warm, slightly overdriven sound that emphasizes sustain and emotional impact. It's characterized by a smooth distortion and a touch of chorus or modulation to add depth.

Gear

Fender Stratocasterinstrument
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Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifieramp
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Shure SM57microphone
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Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamerprocessing
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Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensembleprocessing
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The Story

The lead guitar on 'Black' was recorded during Pearl Jam's Ten sessions at London Bridge Studios in Seattle, produced by Rick Parashar. While specific gear details for this particular track aren't definitively documented, Stone Gossard was known to use Fender Stratocasters and various Marshall and Mesa/Boogie amplifiers during this era, often with overdrive pedals to achieve the album's signature warm, sustained lead tones.

Production Credits

Producer: Rick Parashar

Engineer: Adrian Moore

Recorded at: London Bridge Studios, Seattle

Signal Chain

Instrument: Fender Stratocaster

Amp: Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier

Microphone: Shure SM57

Processing: Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer, Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble

Recreation Tips

  • Start with a Fender Stratocaster-style guitar with single-coil pickups.
  • Use a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier amp, or a similar high-gain amp, and set it for a warm, slightly overdriven tone.
  • Add an Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer to boost the signal and increase the gain.
  • Apply a Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble for subtle chorus effect, enhancing the depth and sustain.
  • Experiment with microphone placement to capture the desired tone, focusing on close-miking the amp speaker.
  • Adjust the gain and EQ settings on the amp and pedals to match the reference tone.

Original Gear

  • Fender Stratocaster(guitar)
  • Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier(amp)
  • Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer(pedal)
  • Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble(pedal)
  • Shure SM57(mic)

Substitutions & Recommendations

Fender Player Stratocaster$800-$900

Alternative to: Fender Stratocaster

Provides the single-coil pickup clarity and attack needed for this melancholic lead tone

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Boss Katana-100 MkII$400-$450

Alternative to: Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier

Brown channel delivers similar warm, compressed overdrive with excellent sustain at bedroom volumes

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Neural DSP Archetype: Plini$100-$130

Alternative to: Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier

High-gain amp models with precise EQ control for achieving warm, sustained lead tones

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Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive$50-$70

Alternative to: Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer

Similar mid-focused overdrive character for pushing amp into smooth saturation

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

Alternative to: Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble

Recreates vintage chorus sounds for the subtle modulation depth heard on the track

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Sources

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