Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me album cover - The Cure
Guitar tone settings

How to Dial In "The Perfect Girl" by The Cure - Guitar Tone Settings

The rig

Gear for "The Perfect Girl"

Suggested rig · the original isn't documented.

The settings

Knob Positions, Pickup, and Tuning

Amp settings

Where to set the knobs for this tone. Each value is on the standard 0–10 amp scale.

Gain4
Bass5
Mid5
Treble7
Presence6
Volume6

On your amp, these numbers won't sound the same.

Get the settings for my amp
Guitar setup

How the artist had their guitar configured for this take.

TuningStandard(E A D G B E)
Pickup selector
NeckNk+MdMiddleBr+MdBridge
Guitar knobs
Tone9
Volume10
Recording notes

From Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me (1987). Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me is the seventh studio album by the English rock band the Cure, released on 26 May 1987 by Fiction Records. No source we found ties a guitar or amp to this recording, so a Fender American Professional II Jazzmaster through a Vox AC30 C2, the rig we use for The Cure's other songs from Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, stands in. Set the amp to a light crunch and use the bridge pickup. Standard tuning.

FAQ

Common Questions About the "The Perfect Girl" Tone

  1. What guitar did The Cure use on "The Perfect Girl"?

    The guitar on "The Perfect Girl" (released 1987) isn't documented; the Fender American Professional II Jazzmaster above gets the sound. Pickup selector: bridge pickup on the guitar. Tuned to standard (E A D G B E).

  2. What amp settings does "The Perfect Girl" need?

    Settings for this sound: Gain 4, Bass 5, Mid 5, Treble 7, Presence 6, 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.

  3. Can I play "The Perfect Girl" without the original gear?

    Yes. ToneMirror takes the settings above and adapts it to your guitar, amp, and pedals - so you can chase the "The Perfect Girl" 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.

Related tones

Tone references for "The Perfect Girl" by The Cure are provided for educational use. ToneMirror is not affiliated with the artists or labels referenced.

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