Nail the ToneThird Eye Blind

Semi-Charmed Life

Third Eye Blind · Third Eye Blind · 1997

The signature riff is Kevin Cadogan's Gretsch Country Gentleman with its mute bar engaged, which is why the strings sound taped down, run through a blend of a Vox AC30 and a '69 Marshall Plexi. Stephan Jenkins also credited a Matchless 30 head into a Mesa/Boogie 4x12 for the low end on this specific song, with an Epiphone Casino, a Hamer electric and a '59 Gibson J-200 acoustic layered on top. Aim for a bright, barely-breaking-up tone on the bridge pickup and get the tightness from your picking hand, not from gain.

Where these numbers come from: worked out from the documented rig and the sound of the record

Tuning

Standard tuning, no capo

Standard tuning on this track; the record layers the muted electric riff with a '59 Gibson J-200 acoustic and a Hamer 12-string electric, so a single guitar will always sound thinner than the mix.

Part: Riff

Guitar

  • Gretsch Country Gentleman · Filter'Tron humbuckers · bridge pickup
  • Epiphone Casino · P-90 single-coils · bridge pickup
  • Gibson J-200 (1959) · acoustic, miked

Amp

Vox AC30 (Top Boost)

GAIN
5.0
BASS
4.0
TREBLE
6.5

Jenkins said in Guitar Player (Feb 1998) that Cadogan's Country Gentleman ran through a combination of Vox and Plexi Marshall; set the Cut control around 7 (open) for the chime, and keep the volume just at the edge of breakup so the mute bar's staccato stays clean.

Amp

1969 Marshall Super Lead Plexi (100W) into Marshall 4x12

GAIN
4.0
BASS
4.0
MID
6.0
TREBLE
6.0
PRESENCE
4.0

Cadogan told Billboard his session rig was stripped down around a Marshall Plexi head; blended under the Vox it adds grind and midrange body rather than full distortion.

Amp

Matchless 30 head into Mesa/Boogie 4x12

GAIN
5.0
BASS
6.0
TREBLE
6.0

Jenkins specifically credited a Matchless 30 through a Mesa 4x12 on this song for the extra bottom end; the Matchless has no mid control, so the low end comes from the big cab, not the amp EQ.

Tone character

bright jangly chime · tight muted staccato · light tube breakup · layered stereo guitars · forward upper mids

easy

Open G, D, Dsus4 and C shapes with a fast pinky move on the Dsus4, and the whole feel depends on keeping the picking hand's muted, staccato sixteenths even at tempo.

Want this on your own amp?

These are the record's settings. Tell us what you play through and we'll translate every knob to the amp you actually own — free.

Adapt it to my gear

Sources