This Love

The recording

James Valentine recorded the clean, funk‑infused rhythm part for "This Love" using a Tele‑style guitar through a plain clean amp, adding just enough reverb and light compression to glue the tone. The basic tracks for Songs About Jane were captured live at Rumbo Recorders with the band monitoring through wedges, allowing Valentine’s guitar to sit naturally in the mix. Producer Matt Wallace and engineer Mike Landolt kept the guitar signal relatively dry, letting the subtle studio reverb and compression shape the ambience as Valentine described.

Reported gear

Tele style guitar (unspecified)

Guitar

Valentine used a Telecaster‑style guitar to play the clean, funky rhythm on "This Love".

Clean amp (unspecified)

Amp

Valentine described using a plain clean amp for the song, providing a pristine tone before any reverb or compression was added.

Reverb (unspecified)

Reverb

A small amount of reverb was added in the studio to give the clean tone a hint of ambience, as Valentine noted.

Compressor (unspecified)

Compressor

A subtle studio compressor was used to smooth the dynamics and mask minor flubs, helping the guitar sit tightly in the mix.

Alternatives

Squier Affinity Telecaster

Budget alternative · for the Tele style guitar (unspecified)

$200 to $250

TC Electronic Hall of Fame 2 Reverb

Modern equivalent · for the Reverb (unspecified)

$100 to $150

Fender '57 Champ

Budget alternative · for the Clean amp (unspecified)

$800 to $1,200

MXR Dyna Comp

Modern equivalent · for the Compressor (unspecified)

$100 to $120

Practical playing approach

Recreation guidance, not a claim about undocumented studio control positions.

1. 1.Use a clean pickup (neck or middle) and keep the amp gain low for a full, glassy tone.
2. 2.Add a touch of reverb and light compression to glue the sound without muddying the clarity.
3. 3.Play the rhythm with a relaxed, slightly muted picking attack to keep the funk feel.
4. 4.Maintain even volume balance between strings; avoid heavy digging into the strings.
5. 5.Set the tone knobs slightly rolled off the treble for a smoother, warm character.