How to Dial In "Passing Out Pieces" by Mac DeMarco - Guitar Tone Settings
Gear for "Passing Out Pieces"
Suggested rig · the original isn't documented.
- GuitarYamaha SG2000Suggested
- EffectChorusThe unit isn't documented
Knob Positions, Pickup, and Tuning
Where to set the knobs for this tone. Each value is on the standard 0–10 amp scale.
On your amp, these numbers won't sound the same.
Get the settings for my ampHow the artist had their guitar configured for this take.
The first single from Salad Days, Mac DeMarco's second studio album, released through Captured Tracks on 1 April 2014; the single came out on 12 January 2014. DeMarco recorded the album in his Brooklyn apartment on a Fostex A-8 tape recorder, as he had its predecessor 2. The sources available here don't name his guitar or amp, so the rig is a suggestion. Use a clean, chorus-washed neck-pickup tone with a loose, woozy vibrato, and let the chords wobble. No transcription could be checked, so no tuning is given.
Common Questions About the "Passing Out Pieces" Tone
What guitar did Mac DeMarco use on "Passing Out Pieces"?
The guitar on "Passing Out Pieces" (released 2014) isn't documented; the Yamaha SG2000 above gets the sound. Pickup selector: neck pickup on the guitar.
What amp settings does "Passing Out Pieces" need?
Settings for this sound: Gain 2, Bass 5, Mid 5.5, Treble 6.5, Presence 5, Volume 6. Each value is on the standard 0–10 amp scale; match them on your amp first, then nudge to taste. ToneMirror can translate these positions for whatever amp you actually own.
Can I play "Passing Out Pieces" without the original gear?
Yes. ToneMirror takes the settings above and adapts it to your guitar, amp, and pedals - so you can chase the "Passing Out Pieces" tone on a Katana, a Helix, a tube combo, or anything else. The translation accounts for EQ curve, gain structure, and pickup type so the result actually sounds like the record, not just the same knob numbers on different gear.
What effects are on "Passing Out Pieces"?
The recording has chorus on it. No source names the unit behind it, so this page doesn't guess one. ToneMirror maps each effect onto your rig - a pedal you own, your amp's own controls, or a block on a modeler - and says plainly when your rig can't make one.
More Tones You Can Dial In
Tone references for "Passing Out Pieces" by Mac DeMarco are provided for educational use. ToneMirror is not affiliated with the artists or labels referenced.