Song Rig

Friday I'm in Love

Robert Smith · Wish · 1992

Tone Overview

What Makes This Sound Unique

The Cure's most joyful song — Robert uses a clean, chorus-drenched guitar with a major-chord brightness that is the tonal opposite of his dark gothic material. The Wish album production gives the guitar a warm, slightly compressed quality, and the jangly major chord pattern feels like sunlight through a window.

Signal Chain

1Fender Jazzmaster (or Schecter Ultra Cure)
2Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus (clean, chorus on)
3Boss CE-2 Chorus (additional layer)

Amp Settings

Gain / Volume2

Bass5

Mid6

Treble7

Reverb4

Very clean with multiple chorus layers — the JC-120 chorus plus the CE-2 creates a wide, shimmering stereo spread. The bright major chord voicings and clean tone express the unusual-for-The-Cure emotional openness of the song.

Technique

How to Play It

High-register chord voicings — Robert plays the chord pattern in a higher position than a standard open chord arrangement, creating the jangly, bell-like quality that distinguishes the intro. The use of sus2 and add9 voicings adds the open, spacious quality.

Budget Alternative

Achievable With

Jazzmaster or Jaguar → Roland JC-120 with both chorus channels active → Boss CE-2 → hall reverb. The bright, jangly quality requires a clean amp — adding gain changes the character fundamentally.

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