Song Rig
This Land
Gary Clark Jr · This Land · 2019
Tone Overview
What Makes This Sound Unique
The heaviest, most overtly psychedelic Clark tone — a chunky, down-tuned fuzz riff that opens the album with political force. The guitar is more aggressively downtuned and the production more dense than his Blak and Blu work, incorporating hip-hop influenced low-end structure under heavy fuzz.
Signal Chain
- 1Gibson ES-335 (drop-tuned, bridge pickup)
- 2Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi (full)
- 3Marshall JTM45 (driven hard)
- 4Fender Super Reverb (layered)
Amp Settings
Maximum bass and gain — the This Land riff functions almost like a hip-hop 808 bass element in the track structure. Multiple amp layers stacked in the studio. Big Muff at maximum sustain with the Marshall providing additional character.
Technique
How to Play It
Drop tuning (or standard tuning on a baritone-scaled guitar) for the heavy low register. The riff is rhythmically simple but its power is entirely dependent on tuning, gain, and register — it would not work in standard tuning at the same fret positions.
Budget Alternative
Achievable With
Any guitar drop-tuned 1–2 steps + Big Muff Pi at full sustain + any high-gain amp or distortion pedal with maximum bass EQ. The tuning and EQ do the heavy lifting.
Your Gear
Adapt to My Amp
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