Only Shallow by My Bloody Valentine (Riff · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

The Only Shallow by My Bloody Valentine guitar tone is built on a Amp distortion, dialed in at gain 6/10, bass 5, mid 5, treble 6, presence 5 (community-researched baseline). Full breakdown below — then adapt every knob to your exact guitar and amp, free.

Amp settings (0–10)

Community-researched baseline. Your rig is different — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials every knob for your specific guitar, amp and pickups.

How these settings compare

Measured against the 540 rock tones in our researched catalog: Gain 6 sits above the rock average (4.8) — a hotter, more saturated take than most rock tones; mids at 5 are below average (6.2).

Guitar controls

Original gear

Amp: Amp distortion (Fender Showman / Burman) with amp TREMOLO running

The definitive shoegaze tone. Kevin Shields’ "glide guitar": strum a Jazzmaster while constantly working the tremolo BAR so the pitch warps. Recorded through amps with their TREMOLO shaking at different rates, plus a Yamaha SPX90 REVERSE REVERB. Modal tuning; the riff is barre chords (F5-G5-Bb5-C5). It’s a thick, washed, pitch-warping wall of sound.

Gear used on this tone

Don’t own this gear? GuitarToneAdapt re-creates the sound on the rig you actually have.

Pickups

bridge/neck (Jazzmaster, washed)

Effects / signal chain

reverb, tremolo, distortion

Tone character

washed wall of sound, tremolo-warped pitch, reverse-reverb swell, dreamy & thick

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

washed, tremolo-warped shoegaze distortion distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the Only Shallow sound.

Difficulty

4/5 · Riff

The constant tremolo-bar "glide" while strumming is the whole technique; the tone is thick amp distortion drowned in reverse reverb, in a modal tuning.

Level: Intermediate — see more intermediate guitar songs →

Worth knowing

• Only Shallow is the shoegaze blueprint — thick amp DISTORTION with REVERSE REVERB, played with the "glide" technique (strum a Jazzmaster while constantly bending the TREMOLO BAR so the pitch warps). Use a modal tuning; it’s a washed, dreamy wall, not a tight riff.
• Use amp/pedal distortion + a reverse (or big) reverb, and ride the tremolo bar as you strum. A Jazzmaster/offset with a trem helps. Wash over precision.
• Settings are community-researched starting points, not official recall sheets.

Only Shallow guitar tone — FAQ

Share this tone

Sources

• Classic Tracks: Only Shallow — Sound on Sound
• Kevin Shields on His Guitar Technique — Far Out
• Only Shallow Tuning — Raga Junglism

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More like this

🎸 more Rock guitar tones →  ·  🎛️ best rock amp settings →  ·  🎸 more iconic guitar riffs →  ·  🎚️ Distortion tone guide →  ·  🎚️ Tremolo tone guide →  ·  🎚️ Reverb tone guide →  ·  📖 New to amp settings? What every knob does →

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