rhythm guitar from “you only live once” by the strokes | ToneDB
you only live once
the strokes
rhythm guitar
Tone Profile
This tone is characterized by a slightly dirty, compressed sound with a pronounced mid-range and a tight, punchy character. It's the kind of tone that cuts through a mix without being overly aggressive.
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The Story
Nick Valensi recorded the rhythm guitars for 'You Only Live Once' using an Epiphone Casino through a Fender Blues Junior amp, with an MXR Micro Amp providing clean boost to push the amp into slight overdrive. The setup was recorded with a Shure SM57 microphone, capturing the natural tube saturation and bright, resonant character of the semi-hollow guitar.
Production Credits
Producer: Gordon Raphael
Engineer: Greg Calbi & Howie Weinberg
Recorded at: Transporterraum (NYC)
Signal Chain
Instrument: Epiphone CasinoShop on Reverb
Amp: Fender Blues JuniorShop on Reverb
Microphone: Shure SM57Shop on Reverb
Processing: MXR Micro AmpShop on Reverb
Recreation Tips
- Start with a semi-hollow guitar like an Epiphone Casino, known for its bright and resonant tone.
- Use a small tube amp such as a Fender Blues Junior to capture a natural tube overdrive. Set the amp to the edge of breakup for a slightly dirty tone.
- Place a Shure SM57 close to the speaker cone, slightly off-axis, to capture the amp's character without harshness.
- Use a clean boost pedal such as an MXR Micro Amp to drive the amp harder and add a bit of extra gain and mid-range punch.
- Experiment with compression in your DAW to further shape the sound and enhance its presence.
Original Gear
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Substitutions & Recommendations
Alternative to: Epiphone Casino
Current production Casino with the same P90 pickups and semi-hollow construction that gives the bright, resonant tone heard on the track
Alternative to: Fender Blues Junior
Current version of the same amp used on the recording, providing identical tube saturation and natural overdrive when pushed
Alternative to: MXR Micro Amp
Same clean boost pedal used to drive the Blues Junior harder for that compressed, punchy character
Alternative to: Shure SM57
Identical dynamic microphone that captured the original amp tone, still the industry standard for guitar recording
Alternative to: Fender Blues Junior + MXR Micro Amp combination
Digital emulation of the Blues Junior amp with built-in boost options for bedroom recording or headphone monitoring
Frequently Asked Questions
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