That Sound: The Modbeats' The Setting Sons

02-20-2025

How did they get that sound? For this second installment, The Modbeats tell us about the gear they used on their new single "The Setting Sons" to achieve an Eastern meets classic Beck era Yardbirds sound on the track. Philip Dunn explains:

Rickenbacker 330/6 String with High Gain pickups: First and foremost, this is the main guitar throughout "The Setting Sons" track. It's the main rhythm guitar and is the guitar I use for the main intro riff. I have low gauge strings on that guitar and it's set up for a bright and jangly sound. I wanted the opening riff to have a mid-60s Eastern vibe and thought of Jeff Beck and his leads on The Yardbirds' seminal "Heart Full of Soul." It almost sounds as though I'm playing my 360/12-string Rickenbacker, but I'm not ... It's all the 330. And since there are clear references to The Jam, I had no choice but to use this guitar!

Fender Stratocaster: For the solo, I wanted something a little fuller, but also bright enough to cut through the mix. I chose this guitar for that reason, over, say, my ES 345 or Les Paul. Both guitars were played through a 1966 Fender Deluxe Reverb... cranked!

Fender 1966 Deluxe Reverb: I wish this were mine, but it belongs to Lake House Studio in Asbury Park. I played through this amp throughout this entire song and for most of the album, alongside a Vox AC 15, which happens to be the amp I gig with. No pedals were used for the recording of this particular track. The amp is dimed to get the tone! Some reverb, as well, but not much.

Hear the results below!