# Sound Recipe - New Wave Clean Chorus Guitar

## Target

Bright, jangly, chorus-drenched clean guitar — the Johnny Marr / early Cure / Magazine / Siouxsie-adjacent new-wave chime. Not a lead hook like [Enjoy the Silence](depeche-mode-enjoy-the-silence-guitar.md); this is **rhythm and shimmer**: arpeggiated or percussive chord fragments that fill space around synths and vocals without fighting them.

The sound should feel:

- Clean and chimey (no breakup)
- Wide and shimmery (chorus is the identity)
- Percussive and rhythmic (short notes, muted feel OK)
- Slightly compressed and even
- Supportive, not starring

Follows the house method: **intention → source → preset/plugin start → routing → settings → automation → taste checks.**

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## Useful References

- Johnny Marr (The Smiths) — clean arpeggiated rhythm as architecture
- The Cure — bright chorus rhythm guitar (not the wet lead recipe in [Dream-Pop Post-Punk](dream-pop-polished-post-punk-guitar-atmosphere.md))
- Magazine / early post-punk new wave — chime + chorus width
- Adjacent: [Enjoy the Silence](depeche-mode-enjoy-the-silence-guitar.md) (melodic lead), [Dream-Pop Post-Punk](dream-pop-polished-post-punk-guitar-atmosphere.md) (shimmer atmosphere)

Steal the jobs: rhythmic clean chime, chorus width, short percussive voicings — not a lead line.

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## Best For

New-wave rhythm guitar, jangly arpeggios under synth beds, Britpop-adjacent chime, filling midrange when synths own the low end and air.

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## Source + Tone Chain

| Stage | ⭐ | Start From | Going For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guitar | ⭐ | Gretsch 5120 (TV Classics), bridge or both pickups | Bright chime, short decay |
| Guitar alt | | Gretsch Country Club | More body if 5120 is too thin |
| Amp | ⭐ | UAD Dream '65 (in Paradise Guitar Studio), clean | Premium clean platform |
| Amp (fast) | | Bogren DUET clean | Speed when writing |
| Compression | ⭐ | UAD LA-2A / 1176 light | Even arpeggios, sustain without squash |
| EQ | | FabFilter Pro-Q 4 | HPF ~100 Hz; tame 2–4 kHz pick if harsh; small 8–10 kHz air |
| Chorus | ⭐ | UAD Studio D Chorus / Dimension D, or Roland JUNO-60 chorus as synth double | Lush new-wave width |

Optional synth double (when no guitar take): **Roland JUNO-60 / JUNO-106** ⭐ or **Arturia Memory V** — short plucky arps with onboard chorus, same register as the guitar would occupy.

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## Chorus (signature)

| Setting | Start | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Studio D Chorus / Dimension D mode II–III | Rich analog chorus |
| Depth | Moderate | Felt, not seasick |
| Rate | Slow–moderate | Slow = shimmer; faster = 80s animation |
| Mix | ~40–55% | Keep dry attack for rhythmic clarity |

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## Space

| Send | Start | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Reverb | Short bright plate/room | Eventide SP2016 / Lexicon PCM; HPF return ~250 Hz |
| Delay | 1/8 dotted or 1/4, low mix | Optional — Cascadia / El Capistan for movement |

Less space than dream-pop atmosphere recipes — this part is **midrange rhythm**, not a wash.

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## Fast Path

1. 5120 clean arpeggios → Dream '65 → LA-2A → Studio D Chorus
2. Or JUNO-60 / Memory V pluck arp with chorus I/II instead of guitar
3. Short plate send, low; keep dry rhythm forward

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## Adjustment Rules

| Problem | Try |
|---|---|
| Too thin | Country Club pickup; thicken with JUNO double an octave up, quiet |
| Muddy with synths | HPF guitar; simplify voicings; carve 300–500 Hz |
| Too pretty/dream-pop | Less reverb; drier chorus mix; more muted picking |
| Not wide enough | Dimension D; MicroPitch ±6 cents on a duplicate |

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## Common Mistakes

- Treating it as a lead (this is rhythm architecture)
- Same chain as [Enjoy the Silence](depeche-mode-enjoy-the-silence-guitar.md) — that recipe is a singing hook; this is chime and pulse
- Drowning in reverb (kills the jangle)
- Competing with synth chorus beds in the same octave

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## Closest Tools I Own

Guitar: Gretsch 5120 / Country Club, UAD Dream '65 (Paradise), Bogren DUET, Vox AC15HW1X
Synth double: Roland JUNO-60 / JUNO-106, Arturia Memory V, NI 80s New Wave *(situational)*
Mod/space: UAD Studio D Chorus / Dimension D, Eventide MicroPitch, Eventide SP2016, Lexicon PCM, iZotope Cascadia
Comp/EQ: UAD LA-2A / 1176, FabFilter Pro-Q 4

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## Related Pages

- [07 - Guitar](../../instruments/07-guitar.md)
- [Sound Recipe - Depeche Mode / "Enjoy the Silence" Clean Melodic Guitar](depeche-mode-enjoy-the-silence-guitar.md)
- [Sound Recipe - Dream-Pop / Polished Post-Punk Guitar Atmosphere](dream-pop-polished-post-punk-guitar-atmosphere.md)

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## Practical Summary

Play short, clean, chimey arpeggios or percussive chord fragments with **heavy chorus** and light compression. Keep space dry-ish and midrange-focused so synths and vocal stay king. If you don't have a guitar part ready, **JUNO-60 or Memory V** with chorus does the same job. The expensive feel is **width + rhythmic clarity**, not wet ambience.