Tone Settings for Just Like Heaven by The Cure (guitar and amp)

1. Volume

• Keep the volume at around 7-8 on your guitar for clean rhythm sections.
• Increase to full (10) for lead lines or arpeggios to bring clarity and presence.
• Use amp volume or a clean boost pedal for added projection when needed.

2. Tone

• Set the tone knob between 7 and 9 for brightness without harshness.
• Aim for a chimey, jangly sound with clear high end.
• Dial back slightly if using bright amp settings or pedals to avoid ice-pick highs.

3. Pickup Selector

• Use the bridge pickup for the lead melody parts to cut through the mix.
• Use the middle position (neck + bridge on many Fender-style guitars) for rhythm parts to blend warmth and clarity.
• The neck pickup alone can be too dark for the style, so use sparingly.

4. Humbucker or Single Coil Preferred?

• Single coil pickups are preferred for a brighter, more articulate tone.
• They help achieve the characteristic jangly New Wave/80s tone of The Cure.
• Consider noiseless single coils if hum is an issue with your setup.

5. Ideal Guitar Type (Jazzmaster-Style)

• A Fender Jazzmaster or Jazzmaster-style guitar is ideal.
• Look for models with single coil pickups that capture the airy, bright tone.
• Offset body shape and floating trem design aid in expressive playing and chord jangle.
• Vintage-style models with 1M pots and rhythm circuit features can add tonal flexibility.

• Fender Jazzmaster: Known for its jangly cleans and used by Robert Smith
• Boss CE-2 Chorus: Essential for achieving the lush, modulated clean tones
• Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man: Analog delay for dreamy repeats and ambiance
• ProCo Rat Distortion: For gritty, mid-gain lead tones in the song’s solo
• Fender Twin Reverb: Clean amp platform with great headroom and reverb
• Boss RV-6 Reverb: Adds spacious, ambient depth to chorused cleans
• Dunlop GCB95 Cry Baby Wah: Used subtly for expressive lead sections
• EQD Sea Machine Chorus: Modern alternative for thick, textured modulation

• Use a clean, chorus-rich guitar tone with moderate reverb for the intro and verses.
• Set delay time around 370–380ms with low feedback for rhythmic lead lines.
• Bridge pickup preferred for brightness and clarity in lead parts.
• Apply light compression to even out picking dynamics.
• Keep amp EQ settings bright: treble 7, mid 5, bass 4 (adjust to taste).
• Use modulation effects like chorus or flanger subtly to mimic vintage ’80s feel.
• Double-track guitar parts for a fuller stereo image.
• For bass, use a punchy tone with minimal distortion and slight mid boost.
• Drums should emphasize snare and hi-hat with gated reverb typical of ’80s production.
• Keyboard tones should include bright synth pads and arpeggiated sequences with soft attack.