Mr. Brightside

Dave Keuning recalls recording the defining part with an Ibanez Destroyer through a Fender Hot Rod DeVille, using the open high E as a continuous drone across the moving shapes. The basic sound is amp-driven and relatively direct rather than dependent on a complex pedalboard. Exact control and microphone positions were not published, so settings are approximated from Keuning’s documented chain. Source: Guitar Player’s Dave Keuning career-defining tracks interview and Sound on Sound’s Mark Needham feature.

Dave Keuning confirms that the recording used his Ibanez Destroyer into a Fender Hot Rod DeVille, the same basic chain heard across most of Hot Fuss. The famous riff is a Dadd9-derived voicing high on the neck with the open high-E string ringing throughout; exact amplifier controls were not published, so the settings are approximated from the documented rig. Source: Guitar Player’s Dave Keuning career retrospective (2022).