John Mayer Tone

A video reference for understanding and achieving the John Mayer Continuum tone and the new Crossroads cover from his Battle Studies album.

Guitar: 2008 Fender American Standard Strat with Custom Shop 69 pickups

Amp: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe w/ Jensen C12 Ceramic speaker

Amp settings:
Treble 6
Mid 4
Bass 9
Rev 5
Presence 6

Guitar Volume & Tone Knobs are all set to 100% (10).

Signal Chain:

MXR M173 Classic 108 Fuzz
Dunlop JH-1B Hendrix Wah
MXR M102 Dyna Comp
Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi NYC
Maxon OD-9 Tube Screamer
MXR Phase 90
Ibanez CS-9 Stereo Chorus
MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay
Boss TU-2 Tuner

I'm using .009 Ernie Ball slinkys, occasional .60 Orange Tortex pick (mostly fingers, like Mayer)

For Crossroads, the MXR 108 Fuzz is the only effect, w/ Fuzz at 100% and Volume at about 10:30.

For all Continuum songs, the Dyna Comp is set Output: 2:00; Sensitivity: 10:00

(Maxon OD-9 engaged for Continuum solos - Drive: 1:00; Tone: 9:00; Level: 11:30... Carbon Copy is engaged w/ all knobs on 11:00... about 300ms of delay time for added depth on Vultures ... I opted not to use delay on the Belief solo, but you certainly could.)

Vultures, use Middle + Bridge pickups w/ Delay and OD on solo, compression on all the way through

Belief, use Middle + Neck pickups on riff A, riff B, and Chorus, Neck only on Solo

Gravity, use Middle + Neck pickups throughout, except LIVE Solo versions in which John uses neck pickup on the more climactic soloing bits.

For Crossroads, John breaks out the bridge pickup. Pedalboard photos confirm that he uses a Cornish G-2 fuzz unit on this song. This is a pedal made famous by fellow Strat-God David Gilmour on songs like the live version of Echoes from the DVD Live In Gdansk, shot during his 2006 tour.

Waiting On the World to Change is played with the neck + middle pickups. I use the compressor for the whole of this song and add the Tube Screamer (OD9) for the solo (neck pickup). John almost certainly uses his Keeley Compressor for the rhythm on this song as it is a vital component to his fantastic tone.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• John
• Mayer
• tone
• test
• settings
• Fender
• Strat
• Stratocaster
• Hot
• Rod
• Deluxe
• American
• Standard
• Crossroads
• Continuum
• Belief
• Gravity
• Slow
• Dancing
• Burning
• Room
• Waiting
• On
• the
• World
• to
• Change
• Custom
• Shop
• 69
• 69s
• CS
• CS69
• CS69s
• Jimi
• Hendrix
• SRV
• Stevie
• Ray
• Vaughan
• KaneArts
• Alex
• Kane

[KaneArts]

@PeacefulMax: I'd say CS 69s, definitely. Although modern Clapton is a very different tone. John Mayer, Hendrix, and SRV all use weak-output, vintage-style pickups like the CS 69s. Texas Specials might be okay for SRV, but not really authentic. Go with 69s! :-D

[Jjjj187]

are you familiar with the fender cs 54's. if so what would you recommend. the 69's or the 54's caus thats the situation i'm in right now. :p

[KaneArts]

@Jjjj187 Have never, to my knowledge, heard the 54s in person. From what I've read, they produce that early Strat a la Buddy Holly, Hank Marvin (the God of the Strat, some would argue) tone. The 69s are more for the Hendrix, David Gilmour, John Mayer tone. Hope that helps. Listen to a few tunes by "The Shadows" to hear what the 54s would sound like.

[dkfone]

Hi you nail the jm tone but how to you do it with cs69s. I heard they are bright and shrill and yet they have that dark sound mayer gets in this vid. Im on the look out for pickups that would capture mayers tone. What would you recommend.

[KaneArts]

@dkfone That is very different from what my experience has been. I've seen many claim that the CS69s are the closest vintage-style pickup you can get for creating tones like John Mayer, Hendrix, SRV, etc. It is the more modern Fender pickups, "Hot" or "High-Output" pickups, that produce bright, shrill tones -- i.e. stock Strat pickups. I highly recommend you get CS69s if you're looking to sound like Mayer.

[dnnysrock]

so the solo for belief the od9? and by the way the od9 is way better than the ts9. dude.

and the fuzz for crossorado? tell me where the od9 is activated please thanlk you

[KaneArts]

@dnnysrock You're mostly correct. Vintage TS9 > Maxon OD9 > Reissued TS9. They theoretically all "the same," although anyone with a set of ears will tell you that the 80s TS9 is the best, with the Maxon OD9 being nearly as good, while the TS9 reissue (circa 2009-10) is lackluster. The OD9 is activated in all of the solos, particularly in Belief and Vultures. The rest is just clean, or all fuzz for Crossroads.

[ruedrued]

Now you just have to learn to actually play :) just kiddin..

[flip080210]

Too many guitarists today are so focused on gear that they don't even learn to play. You have thousands of dollars in gear but you can't even play in time. Get back to the basics. Find a tone you like and stick with it.

[callehasty]

maxon od 9 or od 808?

[getbackgoodtimes]

FUCK MAYER ALL THE WAY !!!

[richsabre]

well, i like it

[theinck]

I knew this would get lots of dislikes just from reading the title. I like it. Good playing, good clean tone, even though the quality has been shredded up. I think theres too much reverb though. and overdrive needs work. Good stuff!

[PeacefulMax]

CS 69 VS 50 VS TEXAS SPECIAL VS VINTAGE NOISELESS

for John mayer, Hendrix, Srv, Clapton tone?

[dnnysrock]

@stratupdude are you dumb? go buy one then

[stratupdude]

@dnnysrock The OD9 is not the early TS9, can't be, the parts are discontinued ... I recommend a vintage one at least '83 if not earlier ... : } ~!m/

[shirleyandlaverne]

All these haters need to calm down. This guy took the time to make this video and film his playing, which is perfectly decent. It's not easy to try and pinpoint a sound using the same equipment, let alone substituting different ones. My guess is that he did this because he likes it. Don't hate him for having nice gear.

[jojowaterpolo]

This is shit, you don't have the right feelin' ! When you don't have it, it sounds very bad. And you lose some notes in your riffs. Try another time when You have the right sound en the right notes. Good luck!