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Riff Tone
September
Earth, Wind & Fire
Guitarother1970s
Original Gear
Guitar1972 Gibson ES-335 (left-handed, vintage, as used by Al McKay)
AmpRoland JC-120 Jazz Chorus (modified, as used by Al McKay in studio)
Amp Settings
gain0
bass5
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Notes
Studio recording, 1978; Al McKay's main studio setup for Earth, Wind & Fire rhythm parts on 'September'. Some sources mention Vox Super Beatle as an alternative, but JC-120 is most cited for this era and style.
Tone Character(10)
bright and articulatetight and percussiveshiny, jangly funk chordssuper-clear bass notesbiting midsclean and glassylush, major-7th embellishmentssyncopated rhythmno audible distortionclassic disco-funk clean
Difficulty
The riff requires advanced funk rhythm skills, including tight 16th-note strumming, muted chord chops, and precise timing, making it challenging for players not experienced in disco/funk rhythm guitar.
This tone has been researched 2 times by the community
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Create Free AccountGuitarother1970s
Original Gear
Guitar1972 Gibson ES-335 (left-handed, vintage, as used by Al McKay)
AmpRoland JC-120 Jazz Chorus (modified, as used by Al McKay in studio)
Amp Settings
gain0
bass5
Create an account to see all tone details
Create Free AccountEffects & Signal Chain
This tone has been researched 2 times by the community
Notes
Studio recording, 1978; Al McKay's main studio setup for Earth, Wind & Fire rhythm parts on 'September'. Some sources mention Vox Super Beatle as an alternative, but JC-120 is most cited for this era and style.
Tone Character(10)
bright and articulatetight and percussiveshiny, jangly funk chordssuper-clear bass notesbiting midsclean and glassylush, major-7th embellishmentssyncopated rhythmno audible distortionclassic disco-funk clean
Difficulty
The riff requires advanced funk rhythm skills, including tight 16th-note strumming, muted chord chops, and precise timing, making it challenging for players not experienced in disco/funk rhythm guitar.