
Song Rig
Minuano (Six Eight)
Pat Metheny · Still Life (Talking) · 1987
Tone Overview
What Makes This Sound Unique
Lush, chorused and deeply spatial — Metheny's Ibanez PM100 through a Roland Jazz Chorus with synth pads underneath creates a tone that feels like it exists in wide open space. The guitar sits in the high-mids, warm but transparent.
Signal Chain
- 1Ibanez PM100 Pat Metheny Signature (archtop, floating humbucker)
- 2Roland Jazz Chorus JC-120 (chorus engaged, bright channel)
- 3Lexicon PCM70 reverb (large hall)
Amp Settings
Clean amp — all the texture comes from the JC-120's built-in chorus and external reverb. The guitar volume knob does all the dynamics; the amp stays clean throughout.
Technique
How to Play It
Fingerstyle with thumb pick, sustaining upper-voice melody notes while keeping inner voices moving — a pianistic approach applied to the guitar.
Budget Alternative
Achievable With
Hollowbody or archtop → Roland Jazz Chorus or Chorus pedal into clean amp → Hall reverb pedal. TC Electronic Corona Chorus + BigSky reverb is a modern equivalent.
Your Gear
Adapt to My Amp
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