Guitar Amp Settings by Song
Hand-curated amp settings, effects chains, and playing tips for 194 iconic songs. Each tone researched from interviews, rig rundowns, and studio records.
Showing 194 of 194 songs
Back in Black
AC/DC
Classic Rock1970s Marshall 1959 Super Lead 100W
Thunderstruck
AC/DC
Classic RockMarshall 1959 Super Lead
Whole Lotta Love
Led Zeppelin
Classic RockVox Super Beatle head with Rickenbacker Transonic cabinets
Stairway to Heaven
Led Zeppelin
Classic RockSupro combo for the solo (widely reported; exact model uncertain)
Comfortably Numb
Pink Floyd
Classic RockHiwatt DR103 Custom 100 into WEM cabinets
Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
Jimi Hendrix
Classic RockMarshall 1959 Super Lead 100W Plexi
Sunshine of Your Love
Cream
Classic RockMarshall JTM45
Smoke on the Water
Deep Purple
Classic RockMarshall Major 200W into Marshall 4x12 cabs
Satisfaction
The Rolling Stones
Classic RockFender Twin Reverb (studio)
Sultans of Swing
Dire Straits
Classic RockFender Vibrolux Reverb
All Right Now
Free
Classic RockMarshall Plexi 50W into 4x12
More Than a Feeling
Boston
Classic RockCustom Scholz 'Power Soak' with Marshall and Fender amps
Enter Sandman
Metallica
Hard Rock & MetalMesa
Master of Puppets
Metallica
Hard Rock & MetalMesa
Iron Man
Black Sabbath
Hard Rock & MetalLaney Supergroup LA100BL into Laney 4x12
Eruption
Van Halen
Hard Rock & Metal1968 Marshall 1959 Super Lead 100W (Plexi)
Panama
Van Halen
Hard Rock & Metal1968 Marshall 1959 Super Lead with Variac
Sweet Child O' Mine
Guns N' Roses
Hard Rock & MetalMarshall JCM 2555 Silver Jubilee 25
Walk
Pantera
MetalRandall Century 200
The Trooper
Iron Maiden
Hard Rock & MetalMarshall JCM800 2203 (both guitarists)
Crazy Train
Ozzy Osbourne
Hard Rock & MetalMarshall JMP 1959 Super Lead 100W
Holy Wars...The Punishment Due
Megadeth
Hard Rock & MetalMarshall JCM800 2203 (modified)
Cowboys from Hell
Pantera
MetalRandall RG100ES (solid-state, 120 watts)
Pride and Joy
Stevie Ray Vaughan
BluesFender Vibroverb (x2) + Dumble Dumbleland 300 (Jackson Browne's studio amp)
Texas Flood
Stevie Ray Vaughan
BluesFender Vibroverb (x2)
The Thrill Is Gone
B.B. King
BluesFender Twin Reverb (studio)
Still Got the Blues
Gary Moore
BluesMarshall JCM800 2210
Gravity (Live in LA)
John Mayer
BluesDumble Overdrive Special
Slow Dancing in a Burning Room
John Mayer
BluesDumble Overdrive Special
Born Under a Bad Sign
Albert King
BluesFender Twin Reverb
Layla
Derek and the Dominos
BluesFender Champ (Clapton, cranked)
Albatross
Fleetwood Mac
BluesFender Twin Reverb
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Nirvana
Grunge & AlternativeMesa
Come as You Are
Nirvana
Grunge & AlternativeMesa
Black Hole Sun
Soundgarden
Grunge & AlternativeMesa
Rooster
Alice in Chains
Grunge & AlternativeBogner Ecstasy
Man in the Box
Alice in Chains
Grunge & AlternativeBogner Fish preamp
Cherub Rock
The Smashing Pumpkins
RockMarshall JCM800 2205 (modified with KT88 tubes)
Alive
Pearl Jam
Grunge & AlternativeMarshall JCM800 (McCready)
Killing in the Name
Rage Against the Machine
Grunge & AlternativeMarshall JCM800 2205 50W head into Peavey 4x12 cabinet
Schism
Tool
Grunge & AlternativeDiezel VH4
Paranoid
Black Sabbath
Hard Rock & MetalLaney Supergroup LA100BL
All Along the Watchtower
Jimi Hendrix
Classic RockMarshall 1959 Super Lead 100W Plexi
Welcome to the Jungle
Guns N' Roses
Hard Rock & MetalMarshall JCM 2555 Silver Jubilee
My Own Summer (Shove It)
Deftones
Grunge & AlternativeADA MP-1 tube MIDI preamp into Marshall 9200 Dual MonoBlock valve power amp
Change (In the House of Flies)
Deftones
Grunge & AlternativeMarshall JMP-1 MIDI tube preamp + ADA MP-1 tube preamp into Marshall 9200 power amp
No More Tears
Ozzy Osbourne
Hard Rock & MetalMarshall JCM800 2203 100W head
Everlong
Foo Fighters
Grunge & AlternativeFender (Zinky) Custom Shop ToneMaster 2x12 100W
The Pretender
Foo Fighters
Grunge & AlternativeMesa
Basket Case
Green Day
Grunge & AlternativeMarshall 1959 SLP Plexi 100W Super Lead 'Pete' with Dookie Mod (Cascading Gain Mod by Martin Golub of Custom Audio Electronics
American Idiot
Green Day
Grunge & AlternativeMarshall 'Idiot Amp' (Plexi variant with extra gain stage)
Hotel California
Eagles
Classic RockDon Felder: Fender Narrow-Panel Tweed Deluxe 5E3 (~1955-56, 12W)
Nothing Else Matters
Metallica
Hard Rock & MetalRoland JC-120 Jazz Chorus (clean) + direct signal to board through MXR DynaComp
Hallelujah
Jeff Buckley
BluesFender Vibroverb '63 Reissue (Brownface, 1x15, 40W, 6L6 tubes)
Grace
Jeff Buckley
BluesFender Vibroverb '63 Reissue (clean) + Mesa
Stillborn
Black Label Society (Zakk Wylde)
Heavy MetalMarshall JCM800 2203 100W head(s)
Forty Six & 2
Tool (Adam Jones)
Progressive Metal Alternative Metal1976 Marshall Super Bass Model 1992 JMP 100W (primary) — converted to Super Lead specs by Dave Friedman. Channels jumpered together. JJ EL34 power tubes. Likely blended with Mesa
Do I Wanna Know?
Arctic Monkeys
Alternative Rock Indie RockVintage Selmer Zodiac Twin 30 combo (primary) + Magnatone Custom 410 (blended simultaneously)
Seven Nation Army
The White Stripes (Jack White)
Alternative Rock Garage RockSears Silvertone 1485 'Six Ten' (~120W tube, mid-1960s, by Danelectro) + Fender Twin Reverb (1970s)
No One Knows
Queens of the Stone Age (Josh Homme)
Stoner Rock Alternative Rock3-amp blend: (1) Ampeg VT-40 tube combo (primary), (2) Peavey solid-state 'Musician' series, (3) Tube Works RT-2100 MosValve hybrid
Duality
Slipknot (Mick Thomson / Jim Root)
Nu Metal Alternative MetalMick: VHT Pitbull Ultra Lead + Carvin 4x12. Jim: Custom one-off modified Bogner Uberschall (~70% of record) + Bogner Uberschall 'purple mod' blended with Mesa Boogie Mark IIC (~30% of record)
Blind
Korn (Munky / Head)
Nu MetalDebated — most likely Marshall JCM 900 (Munky) + Hughes & Kettner Attax (Head), through Marshall and H&K 4x12 cabinets. NOT Mesa Boogie Rectifiers (those were strictly live rigs).
Bat Country
Avenged Sevenfold (Synyster Gates / Zacky Vengeance)
Heavy Metal Hard RockBogner Uberschall 120W tube head (primary) — early revision made by Reinhold Bogner himself. Mesa
Dammit
Blink-182 (Tom DeLonge)
Pop PunkMarshall JCM900 4100 (100W, 2-channel) + Mesa
Love Will Tear Us Apart
Joy Division
Post-PunkVox AC30-style amp approximating JMI Vox UL730 character
Surfing with the Alien
Joe Satriani
Instrumental RockMarshall Model 1959 Super Lead 100W head into 4x12 with Celestion G12T‑75 speakers
La Grange
ZZ Top
Blues Rock1968 Marshall Super Lead 100W (often approximated with JTM45
Welcome to the Black Parade
My Chemical Romance
Alternative RockMarshall JCM800 2203
Misery Business
Paramore
Pop PunkMesa
Plug In Baby
Muse
Alternative RockDiezel VH4
The Boys Are Back in Town
Thin Lizzy
Classic RockMarshall Plexi 2203
The Spirit of Radio
Rush
Progressive RockHiwatt Custom 100
Pull Me Under
Dream Theater
Progressive MetalMesa
Rock You Like a Hurricane
Scorpions
Hard RockMarshall JCM800
Ace of Spades
Motörhead
Heavy MetalMarshall JCM800
Where Is My Mind?
Pixies
Alternative RockPeavey Special (solid-state combo)
Only Shallow
My Bloody Valentine
ShoegazeMarshall JCM800 (primary, per Alan Moulder) + 1960s Burman amp and Fender Showman facing each other with tremolos at different rates
Feel the Pain
Dinosaur Jr.
Alternative RockFender Tweed Deluxe (preferred studio amp)
Cliffs of Dover
Eric Johnson
Other100W Marshall half‑stack for lead tones, approximated here with Fender Twin Reverb-style settings
Chop Suey!
System of a Down
OtherMarshall 1959 Plexi
Reptilia
The Strokes
OtherFender Hot Rod
Live Forever
Oasis
OtherMarshall half‑stack (JCM‑type) blended with other amps
Laid to Rest
Lamb of God
OtherPeavey 6505+ (5150-style) high-gain head
For the Love of God
Steve Vai
OtherCarvin Legacy (Steve Vai signature) or Carvin Legacy 3
Raining Blood
Slayer
OtherMarshall JCM800 2203
Say It Ain’t So
Weezer
Alternative RockMesa
Creep
Radiohead
Alternative RockVox AC30
Breaking the Law
Judas Priest
MetalMarshall JCM800
Just Like Heaven
The Cure
Alternative RockRoland JC-120
Afterlife
Avenged Sevenfold
MetalBogner Uberschall
Hail to the King
Avenged Sevenfold
MetalSchecter Hellwin USA 100W
BFG Division
Mick Gordon
MetalFractal Audio Axe-FX II (amp modeler)
Rip & Tear
Mick Gordon
MetalFractal Audio Axe-FX II
Left Hand Path
Entombed
MetalPeavey Studio Pro 40 (small combo amp)
Wolverine Blues
Entombed
MetalLikely Peavey combo with HM-2, possibly upgraded to Marshall for live
Painkiller
Judas Priest
MetalMarshall JCM800 (primary), with rack preamps (Rocktron Piranha, Mesa Boogie TriAxis)
Cemetery Gates
Pantera
MetalRoland JC-120 (clean sections), Randall RG100ES (heavy sections)
1979
The Smashing Pumpkins
RockMarshall JCM800 (KT88 mod) for overdubs; Marshall JMP-1 Rack Preamp + Mesa Boogie Strategy 500 Power Amp for primary rhythm
Today
The Smashing Pumpkins
RockMarshall JCM800 2205 (KT88 mod)
Blue Lagoon
Masayoshi Takanaka
Jazz FusionClean tube combo (likely Fender Twin Reverb or Roland JC-120 — exact amp not documented for 1979 recording)
Ready to Fly
Masayoshi Takanaka
Jazz FusionClean tube combo (likely Fender Twin Reverb or similar — exact amp not documented for this recording)
Seek & Destroy
Metallica
Thrash MetalMarshall head (Hetfield’s hot-rodded Marshall used for tracking; exact model not specified)
Floods (Guitar Solo)
Pantera
Groove MetalRandall RG-100 head (carpeted RG-100 cited for Trendkill-era tracking approach)
Floods (Guitar Riff)
Pantera
Groove MetalRandall RG-100 head (carpeted RG-100 cited in Trendkill-era interview context)
Nutshell
Alice In Chains
Acoustic Rock1960s Fender Twin Reverb
Purple Rain
Prince & The Revolution
RockMesa
Nothing Else Matters (Riff)
Metallica
Heavy MetalRoland JC-120 Jazz Chorus
Time
Pink Floyd
Progressive RockHiwatt AP100
Unholy Confessions
Avenged Sevenfold
MetalcoreBogner Uberschall
Fade to Black
Metallica
Thrash MetalMarshall amps (Ride the Lightning tracking described as Marshall-based)
Symphony of Destruction
Megadeth
Thrash MetalCustom Audio Electronics (CAE) 3+ preamp
Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
Van Halen
Hard RockLate 1960s Marshall 1959 Super Lead 100W (Plexi)
Thank You for the Venom
My Chemical Romance
Alternative RockMarshall JVM410H
Highway to Hell
AC/DC
Classic Rock1970s Marshall 1959 100W Super Lead (Plexi)
Money for Nothing
Dire Straits
RockMarshall JTM45 head → Laney 4×12 speaker cabinet
Creeping Death
Metallica
Thrash MetalMarshall amps (Ride the Lightning tracking described as Marshall-based)
Burden
Opeth
Progressive MetalMarshall JVM 410H
Bohemian Rhapsody
Queen
Classic RockVox AC30 (vintage 1960s, 2×12 Celestions)
The Stage
Avenged Sevenfold
Progressive MetalSchecter Hellwin Stage 100 (EL34, 100W, 3 channels)
Sad But True
Metallica
Heavy MetalMesa
To Build a Mountain
Crowbar
Sludge MetalRandall RG100ES (120W solid-state)
Köprüaltı
Duman
RockFender Twin Reverb (Blackface
L.A.
Elliott Smith
Indie RockFender Vibrolux Reverb (silverface)
Ride the Lightning
Metallica
Thrash MetalMarshall stacks (multiple auditioned after stolen modified Marshall; album tracking described as Marshall-based)
Harvester of Sorrow
Metallica
Thrash MetalMesa
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Metallica
Thrash MetalMarshall amps (Ride the Lightning tracking described as Marshall-based)
Some Might Say
Oasis
BritpopOrange Overdrive OR120 head
Bad Horsie
Steve Vai
Instrumental RockBogner Ecstasy (early 100A or 100B)
Dream the Dead
Caligula's Horse
Progressive MetalFractal Axe-FX Ultra (digital modeler)
Brothers in Arms
Dire Straits
Classic RockMarshall JTM45
Bleed the Freak
Alice in Chains
Grunge & Alternative'The Snorkler' — Bogner-modified Marshall JCM800 Model 4010 (50W, converted to head)
Welcome to Paradise
Green Day
Pop PunkMarshall 1959 SLP (Super Lead Plexi) 100W 'Pete' with Dookie Mod (Bradshaw
Are You Gonna Be My Girl
Jet
Garage Rock1970s Marshall 50W Master Volume head (Muncey)
To the Flowers
While She Sleeps
MetalcorePeavey 6505 or Peavey 6534+ (most likely for heavy sections)
The Jack
AC/DC
Classic Rock100W late-1960s Marshall Super Lead (Plexi) with EL34 output tubes
Shade
Silverchair
Grunge & AlternativeMarshall JCM900 Dual Reverb 100W
Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!
Megadeth
Thrash MetalMarshall JCM800 2203 100W
Beast and the Harlot
Avenged Sevenfold
Heavy MetalBogner Uberschall (120W, EL34) blended with custom Bogner 'Caveman' prototype (~140W, single channel)
Killing an Arab
The Cure
Post-PunkWEM Clubman (small British combo amp)
Fire In Cairo
The Cure
Post-PunkRoland JC-120 Jazz Chorus (most likely)
Simple Man
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Classic RockMarshall 1959T Super Tremolo 100W
The Rock Show
blink-182
Pop PunkMesa
One More Song (Imposter Syndrome)
Heart Attack Man
Indie RockNot documented
The Less I Know the Better
Tame Impala
Psychedelic RockNo amp — recorded DI through Seymour Duncan KTG-1 King Tone Generator tube preamp
Elephant
Tame Impala
Psychedelic RockNo amp — DI through Seymour Duncan KTG-1 King Tone Generator tube preamp
Lonely Boy
The Black Keys
Garage RockAmpeg Gemini II
Chamber of Reflection
Mac DeMarco
Indie RockFender Vibro Champ (~1960s, 5W)
Maria También
Khruangbin
Psychedelic RockFender '65 Deluxe Reverb reissue (blackface, ~1996) — 22W, 1x12, 6V6
Bright Lights
Gary Clark Jr.
Blues RockFender Vibro-King (60W, 3x10" Jensen)
G.O.A.T.
Polyphia
Progressive RockFractal Axe-FX II 'Boutique 1' preset (Matchless Chieftain model) + Positive Grid BIAS FX 1
Playing God
Polyphia
Progressive RockNeural DSP Archetype: Tim Henson plugin — 'Acoustic' amp model
Neon
John Mayer
Blues RockFender Vibro-King (60W, 3x10" Jensen)
Take Me to Church
Hozier
Indie RockVox AC15 (hand-wired reissue)
Drive
Incubus
Alternative RockMesa Boogie Tremoverb (Dual Rectifier variant with tremolo)
Evil
Interpol
Post-PunkFender Princeton Reverb (Daniel Kessler)
Zombie
The Cranberries
Alternative RockMarshall amplifier(s) + Vox AC30
Santeria
Sublime
RockMesa
Scar Tissue
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Alternative RockFender Blackface Showman
Under the Bridge
Red Hot Chili Peppers
AlternativeMarshall tube head into 4x12 cabinet (inferred clean platform for BSSM-era Frusciante; exact amp
Snow (Hey Oh)
Red Hot Chili Peppers
AlternativeMarshall Major 200W + Marshall Super Bass 100W (dual-amp
Californication
Red Hot Chili Peppers
AlternativeMarshall Major 200W and Marshall Super Bass (reported studio preference during Californication sessions; exact per-track amp blend not documented in sources consulted)
Every Breath You Take
The Police
OtherRoland JC-120 Jazz Chorus (commonly reported for very clean headroom on this track; treated as best-available inference)
Message in a Bottle
The Police
PunkClean high-headroom amp (exact studio amp not specified in sources consulted; likely a very clean platform to preserve flanger detail)
Where the Streets Have No Name
U2
Classic Rock1950s Fender tweed Deluxe combo (recorded as a pair of selected amps; studio approach described by engineer Mark Howard)
Smooth
Santana
OtherMesa Boogie (Santana’s long-used Boogie amp) + Dumble Overdrive Special + Dumble Steel String Singer (recorded simultaneously, per Santana)
Black Magic Woman
Santana
BluesFender Twin Reverb (multiple Twins; modified; run loud)
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
The Beatles
Classic RockFender Deluxe (Clapton lead)
Little Wing
Jimi Hendrix
BluesMarshall 100W-style tube head into 4x12 (inferred from Hendrix’s core studio rig in the 1967 era; not explicitly documented for this track in sources consulted)
Wonderful Tonight
Eric Clapton
BluesClean Fender-style tube combo (inferred; exact studio amp not documented in sources consulted)
One (clean intro/verse)
Metallica
MetalRoland JC-120 Jazz Chorus (clean tones)
Wish You Were Here (intro transition tone)
Pink Floyd
Classic RockNo traditional guitar amp (acoustic recorded through studio mic
Money (riff/verse guitar texture)
Pink Floyd
Classic RockHiwatt DR103 100W head into WEM 4x12 Starfinder cabinet (studio setup described for Dark Side sessions)
Sex on Fire
Kings of Leon
AlternativeSelmer TruVoice Treble-N-Bass Fifty (reported used on the album, specifically cited for "Sex on Fire" via producer interview references)
Mr. Brightside
The Killers
AlternativeFender Hot Rod DeVille (Dave Keuning statement for Hot Fuss-era recording)
i miss you
Ichika Nito
OtherDirect input to audio interface (no amp model) (inferred
Electric Sunrise
Plini
ProgressiveFractal Audio Axe-Fx II (probable, based on multiple contemporaneous discussions referencing Plini’s workflow; not a primary session document)
Wonderful Slippery Thing
Guthrie Govan
ProgressiveCornford RK100 (reported
Touch and Go
Intervals
ProgressiveSuhr PT100 + Mesa
Shibuya
Covet
AlternativeVox AC-series clean platform (AC15
2 Become 1
Tim Henson
ProgressiveIn-the-box amp sim
Rattlesnake
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard
AlternativeUnknown studio amp (likely conventional vintage
Moonchild
Rory Gallagher
BluesVox AC30 and
Superstition
Stevie Wonder
OtherElectric Lady Studios routing; clavinet processed with guitar effects boxes (wah, Mu-Tron phaser, distortion)
Le Freak
Chic
OtherDirect to console (no guitar amp) — classic Nile Rodgers DI approach described in Guitar World breakdown
Get Lucky
Daft Punk (feat. Pharrell Williams, Nile Rodgers)
OtherStudio tracking at Conway Recording (LA) and Electric Lady (NYC) in the Random Access Memories process; exact guitar amp
Fives
Guthrie Govan
ProgressiveCornford RK100 (Erotic Cakes-era association)
Handmade Cities
Plini
ProgressiveModeler-based workflow (Axe-Fx II era likely; not confirmed by primary session documentation in accessible sources)
Sleepy Tea
CHON
ProgressiveClean studio chain (likely DI
Going Home (Theme of the Local Hero)
Mark Knopfler
Classic RockUnknown studio amp(s) for Local Hero sessions
Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Pts. 1-5
Pink Floyd
ProgressiveHiwatt DR103 head with linked Normal and Brilliant inputs into a WEM Super Starfinder 200 4x12; Leslie 147 for rotary texture
Parklife
Blur
AlternativeMarshall Super Lead head into 4x12 cabinet
Paradise City
Guns N' Roses
Classic RockRented 100-watt Marshall half-stack (Appetite-era SIR
Always
blink-182
PunkMarshall JCM900 blended with Mesa
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
Metallica
MetalRoland JC-120 Jazz Chorus
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