The Middle

Jim Adkins has identified an American Standard Telecaster into a Fender Champ as the simple recording chain behind the song’s memorable solo. The rhythm guitars are broader and more layered, and their exact session controls are less clearly documented, so those settings are approximated from the band’s early-2000s guitar rigs. Source: MusicRadar’s Jim Adkins “The Middle” interview (2026) and Equipboard’s Jim Adkins gear page.

Jim Adkins has identified an American Standard Telecaster into a small Fender Champ as the source of the recorded guitar solo. The rhythm settings are approximated from Jimmy Eat World’s straightforward guitar-into-tube-amp approach of the period, while the solo chain follows the documented instruments. Source: MusicRadar’s Jim Adkins retrospective (2026) and Guitar World’s Jimmy Eat World rig feature.