This Charming Man
The Smiths — Single (1983); The Smiths (1984)
Tuning: F# standard: F#–B–E–A–C#–F#
Guitar: A Telecaster-style guitar is the closest starting point for the main recorded layer. Marr described the intro as mostly a borrowed 1953/54 Telecaster tracked with a Rickenbacker. A Rickenbacker-style guitar can supply a complementary jangle when double-tracking.
Playing: Pick the arpeggios evenly and let open strings ring into one another. Keep the attack bright and controlled; use tight rhythmic accents and let the tremolo add movement without obscuring the picked notes.
Signal Chain
Build left to rightNeural Compressor
Light compression.
US TWN Vibrato
Fender Twin Reverb-based amplifier model.
212 US TWN CK2
Matching Twin Reverb-style cabinet model.
Tremolo
Adds the tremolo heard on the Twin-based guitar layer.
Reverse Delay
Optional approximation of one backwards guitar texture.
Hall
Optional space for the backwards-texture approximation.
Follow the chain from left to right. Optional blocks can be bypassed.
Aim for a bright, crisp and tightly controlled guitar sound. The core character comes from the Telecaster and Rickenbacker blend, the firm picking attack, light compression and tremolo. Keep the main arpeggios clear and rhythmically precise. The original recording is much denser than a single guitar chain; the optional reverse and reverb blocks provide one playable texture, not a reconstruction of the full overdubbed arrangement.
Start with Neural Compressor, US TWN Vibrato, 212 US TWN CK2 and Tremolo. Use a Telecaster-style bridge pickup as a practical starting point, tune to F# standard if your strings and instrument can handle it, and play the arpeggios evenly. Keep the amp clean and the compressor light. Add the optional Reverse Delay and Hall only if you want an extra studio-like texture.
Marr described the intro as mostly a borrowed 1953/54 Telecaster tracked with a Rickenbacker. In a separate interview, he said the Telecaster sound on “This Charming Man” was compressed and ran through a very loud Fender Twin Reverb with tremolo on. He also described the song as having around 15 guitar tracks, including acoustic parts, a backwards guitar and the knife-string clangs at the ends of choruses. This recipe models a single serial signal path for a practical Quad Cortex preset. It does not represent the original multitrack recording as a series of effects, and it does not recreate the different guitar layers. The optional Reverse Delay and Hall are effects-based approximations of one backwards, reverberant layer; they are not a literal recreation of the recording technique. The original compressor model, Twin revision, speaker cabinet, mic arrangement and exact effect settings remain unconfirmed. Marr identified F# standard tuning for the song. If you prefer not to raise all six strings, standard tuning with a capo at fret two is a practical pitch alternative, but changes the open-string feel and response. Use the Telecaster as the main tonal reference; a Rickenbacker-style guitar or a separately recorded second pass can add the documented complementary jangle.
Tune to F#–B–E–A–C#–F# if your strings and instrument are suitable for tuning a whole step above standard. Lighter-gauge strings can make this more practical; otherwise, use standard tuning with a capo at the second fret as an approximation. The source evidence identifies a borrowed early-1950s Telecaster and a Rickenbacker in the recorded blend, but does not establish the exact pickup selection for every overdub. Start with a bright Telecaster-style pickup setting and adjust by ear.
Build it in 6 steps
All numerical values are practical starting points, not recovered studio settings. Build the clear, compressed amp tone first, then add tremolo. Use the reverse and reverb blocks only for an optional single-player texture; the original recording uses multiple overdubs.
Prepare the guitar
Tune to F#–B–E–A–C#–F# if appropriate for your guitar and strings. If not, use standard tuning with a capo at the second fret as a practical alternative. Begin with a Telecaster-style guitar and a bright pickup setting. Pick the arpeggios evenly, letting the open strings ring clearly.
Set light compression
Select Neural Compressor before the amp. Aim for light, even compression rather than a squashed sound: use a low compression amount or adjust the threshold for roughly 2–4 dB of gain reduction on stronger attacks, if those controls are available. Match the output level to the bypassed sound. This approximates Marr’s description of a compressed Telecaster; it is not a verified original compressor setting.
Set the Twin Reverb model
Select US TWN Vibrato. Keep the amp clean and bright. As approximate starting points on a 0–10 scale, try Volume around 5, Bass 4, Mid 5 and Treble 6 where those controls are available. Set output for a strong but comfortable level. The original amp was described as very loud, but do not use a high listening level as a substitute for the recorded amp volume.
Choose the cabinet
Select 212 US TWN CK2. If microphone selection is available, begin with a dynamic microphone slightly off the speaker centre. If the cabinet block provides filters, try a low cut near 80 Hz and a high cut near 8 kHz. These are suggested starting points; the original speaker and recording microphone are not confirmed.
Add tremolo
Place Tremolo after the cabinet in this simplified chain. Start with a moderate rate and a restrained depth, around 15–25% if the device uses a percentage control. Adjust by ear so the movement is audible but the arpeggios remain clear. The original Twin’s tremolo settings are unknown.
Add optional reverse texture
For a single-player approximation of one backwards guitar layer, engage Reverse Delay and add a low level of Hall after it. Keep both effects subtle and bypass them for the core riff tone. This effect chain is a modern approximation; the original part was a separately recorded backwards guitar with reverb.
Set up your scenes
Chiming Riff
Neural Compressor, US TWN Vibrato, 212 US TWN CK2 and Tremolo active. Keep Reverse Delay and Hall bypassed. Use a bright Telecaster-style sound and prioritise even picking and clear open strings.
Studio Texture
Keep the core amp and tremolo settings from Scene A. Engage Reverse Delay and Hall at low levels for a wider, more atmospheric single- player interpretation. These blocks approximate one overdub and do not reproduce the original multitrack arrangement.
The tone is too thin or piercing.
Reduce Treble slightly or use a fuller pickup setting. Check that the guitar is in the intended tuning; a capo alternative may feel different under the fingers and produce a different attack.
The arpeggios sound uneven.
Reduce compressor amount if the attack is being exaggerated or flattened. Focus on even picking and let each note ring clearly before increasing compression.
The tremolo obscures the rhythm.
Reduce Tremolo depth or lower its rate. The picked pattern should remain easy to follow with the effect engaged.
The sound is too clean or lacks body.
Raise the amp input or volume slightly, while keeping the output level comfortable. Try a little less compression if it is making the attack feel small.
Reverse Delay and Hall make the riff unclear.
Bypass both optional blocks or lower their mix levels. Use them only for the atmospheric texture; the main riff should work with the core chain alone.