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Stone Temple Pilots - Interstate Love Song - Guitar Tab

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Key E minor
Stone Temple Pilots - Interstate Love Song guitar tab video
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Amp Settings

Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
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AI-selected preset based on genre and era — adjust the knobs to taste.

Roll back the gain slightly and pick near the neck for a warmer, more open crunch.
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Stone Temple Pilots Grunge E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About Interstate Love Song

Few 90s rock songs hook a guitarist quite as immediately as "Interstate Love Song." The opening acoustic figure is the first thing to nail: a clean, arpeggiated pattern in E minor that sits at a relaxed 108 BPM, giving you room to breathe but still demanding clean left-hand muting between chord shapes. The song is played in Eb Standard tuning, so drop every string a half step before you start or the riff will feel stiff under your fingers and clash with the recording. Stone Temple Pilots blend that fingerpicked acoustic intro with a fuller electric rhythm section as the song builds, so you are essentially learning two textures in one track, a good challenge for anyone working on dynamic control. The transition from the sparse verse feel into the chorus is where most players slip, so isolate those four bars with the Practice Toolbar and loop them slowed down until the shift feels natural. This is a rewarding song for anyone getting comfortable with Grunge rhythm playing.

  • The song uses Eb Standard tuning, so tune every string down a half step to match the recording before practicing the riff.
  • The signature intro is an arpeggiated acoustic figure in E minor, making clean left-hand muting between chord shapes the key technique to develop.
  • At 108 BPM the tempo is moderate, but the dynamic shift from the fingerpicked verse to the full electric chorus is the real coordination challenge.

How to Play Interstate Love Song

Tuning: Eb Standard · Key: E minor · Tempo: 108 BPM · Difficulty: Medium

It is played in Eb standard, a half step down, so tune down before you start or every position and bend will sit a half step sharp against the recording.

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 108 BPM to build it up to tempo.

Fender Telecaster
Guitar

Fender Telecaster

Dean DeLeo uses Telecasters for STP's cleaner, stripped-back arrangements, leveraging their bright single-coil twang to cut through without muddiness. Their articulate bite provides the sparkly contrast to the band's heavier Les Paul-driven riffs.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

The Les Paul Standard's warm PAF-style humbuckers deliver the core-era STP crunch, offering rich midrange that bridges DeLeo's clean tones and overdriven Marshall breakup. This guitar anchors the band's signature heavy yet melodic sound.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

While less documented than his Standards and Deluxe, the Custom's fuller PAF voicing suits STP's dense, layered arrangements. Its premium construction complements DeLeo's preference for guitar-amp interaction over heavy effects.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

DeLeo pushes the JCM800 into natural tube saturation for Stone Temple Pilots' signature overdriven tone, avoiding heavy distortion pedals. This head provides the warm, organic breakup essential to tracks like 'Plush' and 'Vasoline.'

Fender Twin Reverb
Amp

Fender Twin Reverb

The Twin Reverb's pristine headroom and lush reverb define STP's clean, atmospheric parts heard on ballads like 'Big Empty.' Its sparkle complements DeLeo's Telecaster work and dynamic volume knob manipulation.

Vox AC30
Amp

Vox AC30

The AC30's natural chime and breakup character provide warmth and psychedelic texture for STP's cleaner passages and atmospheric moments. Its vintage British tone balances the Marshall's aggression in the band's dynamic arrangements.

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